Turnpole, an unlucky loser of last month's Chester Cup, can gain valuable compensation on tomorrow's opening day of Royal Ascot.

The northern challenger, trained at Lingdale by Mary Reveley, lines up for the £46,000 Ascot Stakes Handicap and is napped to defy top weight in the hands of Tony Culhane, who scored on Princely Dream at York on Saturday.

Culhane had more of a nightmare than a dream on Turnpole at Chester. Picking up ground from the rear of the field three furlongs out, Culhane found his path well and truly blocked on the inside.

Forced to switch to the outer early in the short straight, Turnpole finished in tremendous style, but was always finding the post coming too soon and had to be content with the runner-up honours behind Silence In Court.

Winner of last year's Cesarewitch, Turnpole is a proven high-class staying handicapper. Assured of getting every yard of tomorrow's gruelling two and a half miles, he will take plenty of beating.

The Royal Ascot programme traditionally kicks-off with the Queen Anne Stakes, and Frankie Dettori, who won last year's curtain-raiser on Allied Forces, can again take the opening honours aboard Intikhab.

Trained, as was Allied Forces by Saeed bin Suroor, Intikhab was most impressive when bolting home five lengths clear of Hidden Meadow in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom on Derby Day. He incurs no penalty here and will be a tough nut to crack.

Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who was knighted at the weekend, has a wonderful chance the £120,000 Princess Of Wale's Stakes with Insatiable, the mount of Michael Kinane.

Stoute has adopted a softly softly approach with Insatiable, and this lightly-raced five-year-old continues to progress. Easy winner of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on his latest start, having previously scored at Newmarket, he can complete a notable hat-trick here.

The £235,000 St James's Palace Stakes, the first day's outstanding feature, brings together Victory Note and Desert King, respective winners of the French and Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Preference is for Victory Note, who had Desert Prince back in third in the French Classic.

Kieran Fallon's mount Emily's Luck Charm (an excellent runner-up on his debut) at Newmarket is fancied to run a big race in the Coventry Stakes, while dual-winner Caribbean Monarch can complete an outstanding hat-trick in the wide-open Britannia Handicap.

At Thirsk, Desert Fighter will be a tough rival to crack in the Macmillan Appeal Handicap.

Mary Reveley's seven-year-old, a course and distance winner last season, finished a good second at Newcastle on his latest outing and looks to be coming to hand.

John Carroll, in fine form recently, can score on the promising Mubrik in the INGS Maiden Stakes, while a note should be made of the promising Daintree in the Park Fillies Handicap.

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