Timefigure preview: Royal Ascot Friday

The fourth day of Royal Ascot looks a tricky punting day but one race appeals above all others and that is the Commonweath Cup for which - rightly or wrongly - Equilateral heads the market. The thrice-raced son of Equiano (sire of the high-class sprinter and Ascot specialist The Tin Man) turned a Doncaster minor event into a procession on his reappearance and was visually impressive.

How about this? A name to follow - some effort from Equilateral for the @cbhills team at @DoncasterRaces... pic.twitter.com/MBCNb5VRce

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 19, 2018

The second that day has won twice since and given Equilateral is from the same stable that houses the champion sprinter Battaash then he has to be respected, but a timefigure of 101 for that performance (plus a small upgrade) doesn't suggest he should be a shorter price than some of his rivals who have won pattern races. And certainly not one that has won a Group One event. That horse is Sioux Nation who won the Norfolk here last year before following up in the Phoenix Stakes. The son of Scat Daddy relishes fast conditions and comes here better than ever on the back of a 118-timefigure performance in a Group 3 at Naas last time.

Sands Of Mali and Invincible Army (both 116) finished first and second in the Gimcrack last year and also fought out the finish of the Sandy Lane at Haydock last time, while Eqtidaar didn't have things go right at Newbury last time. Sioux Nation deserves to be a clear favourite in our eyes, however, so given he isn't has to be the selection with underfoot conditions ideal.

Anyone who monitors French racing closely might well be of the opinion that the filly who could be the best in Europe at a mile isn't running in the Coronation Stakes, so in her absence the race looks a three-way shootout between the winners of the English and Irish classics, Billesdon Brook and Alpha Centauri, and last year's champion two-year-old filly Clemmie.

There is very little to choose between them from a timefigure perspective with all three able to boast figures around 118 when sectional upgrades are added into the mix. Billesdon Brook has had to be supplemented given this race wasn't originally on her radar, but she looked the winner on merit at Newmarket and gave Happily a similar beating as Alpha Centuari managed in Ireland when Clemmie (having her seasonal reappearance) might have needed the run. The unbeaten Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner (French 1,000 Guineas) winner Teppal might yet make the improvement required to figure but this looks a race we are happy to sit out.    

Mark Johnston's Main Edition heads the time ratings for the opening Albany Stakes having recorded figures of 92 then 99 in her two wide-margin wins so far. She will surely go close, but it was hard not to be very taken with Just Wonderful on her Curragh debut, winning her maiden in much the same fashion that Calyx did the Coventry Stakes, quickening clear in her group then just hanging on after having had nothing to race with. That win earned her a sizeable upgrade on her 75 timefigure and with the form working out well the pair promise to be hard to split.

Recommendation:

Back Sioux Nation to win the Commonwealth Cup at 11-2