It’s written in the stars for Aquarius

ROYAL ASCOT PREVIEW: AIDAN O’Brien saddled Yeats to win the last four Gold Cups at Royal Ascot, but with the great horse enjoying a well-earned retirement this year’s contest looks much more open.

Nevertheless, the Ballydoyle maestro has a major candidate for tomorrow’s Group 1 race in Age Of Aquarius, who has long struck me as an ideal Gold Cup type.

A decent three-year-old who always seemed to be crying out for a test of stamina, he gets his big chance here.

Second to the high-class Harbinger at Chester and Profound Beauty at Leopardstown on his last two starts, Age Of Aquarius should be at peak fitness and ready to deliver a lifetime best tomorrow over a two-and-a-half-mile trip which should see him to best advantage.

My one concern is the well-being of the O’Brien horses, who all seemed to run below par yesterday

Any chinks in my selection’s armour will be exposed by high-class opposition, the best of which could be Ask and Manifest.

The former won the Group 1 Coronation Cup last season, while Manifest looked special when blitzing his rivals in the Yorkshire Cup last time.

Both should be in the firing line, as should Dermot Wild’s progressive Rite Of Passage who looks good each-way value at around 14-1.

The rest of tomorrow’s card is tricky to say the least, but few horses have impressed me this season as much as Dandino and James Given’s progressive colt is taken to land the nap in the concluding King George V Handicap.

The three-year-old showed a bright turn of foot when winning at Epsom last time and has more to offer.

Other fancies on Ladies’ Day are Mark Johnston’s Sea Lord, who has the assistance of Frankie Dettori in the Britannia Handicap, and Zebedee in the opening Norfolk Stakes.

The latter comes from the Richard Hannon stable which won yesterday’s Coventry Stakes with Strong Suit and is clearly one of the better juveniles in the yard.

Zebedee should bounce of this firm ground and is likely to be a springer in the market!