Charlie Hills’ William Hill blog: Galeron a big price in St James’s Palace

Royal Ascot, Tuesday

We run both Pogo and Mutasaabeq in the Queen Anne (2.30pm). Pogo has been brilliant for us and is a real trier who always gives his all. He’s a big price, but he’s run well in this race before and I’m happy with him. I wouldn’t​be one bit surprised if he outran his odds.

Mutasaabeq has the form to be a real contender here if you look back to his performance at Newmarket. I thought he was a bit flat in the Lockinge but his prep wasn’t ideal as he had to go to Lingfield for a stalls test, meaning he had to go to the racecourse three times in three weeks, which would have taken plenty out of him. If he can put his best foot forward, then I think he’ll be bang there.

We all know how competitive the Coventry (3.05pm) is​, but we like Chief Mankato. He was good on debut at Windsor and it’s been great to have seen the form franked a few times. Ever since he joined the yard, he’s been very straightforward, professional, and he’s been very easy to deal with. We’re hopeful he has a good each-way chance.

Equilateral runs in the King’s Stand (3.40pm), a race we have had plenty of success in over the years. He’s run really well at the track and in the race before and if you take out Nature Strip from last year’s renewal, he really wasn’t far behind them

Cicero’s Gift and Galeron run in the St James’s Palace (4.20pm).

We’ve always thought Cicero’s Gift was very good, but the fact we don’t know how good he is makes him very exciting. He’s only had three runs so is pretty unexposed and Tuesday will tell us whether or not we have a proper Group 1 horse on our hands.

We’re under no illusions that this is a big step up, but we wouldn’t be running him here if we didn’t think had the ability to be competitive. Saxon King, the horse Cicero’s Gift works with, won at the weekend so that has given us a bit more confidence.

Galeron looks like a pretty big price to me. He looks an absolute picture at home and I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s run really well in two Guineas so far this season and I think he will run a massive race here.

James [McDonald] rode him last week and they got on really well. They should be a great match.

Royal Ascot, Wednesday

Just the one for us on Wednesday with Wanees in the Royal Hunt Cup (5.00pm).

He’s been a bit disappointing this year, but we know he’s very talented on his day. We’re putting some blinkers on to hopefully liven him up a bit and he could go well if back to his old form.