Clare Balding can be relied on to keep her composure on the big occasion. But the Channel 4 presenter would no doubt whoop for joy if her brother lands a winner on the final day of Royal Ascot tomorrow.
Kingsclere-based Andrew Balding saddles Absolutely So in the Wokingham Stakes at 5pm.
This six-furlong sprint resembles a cavalry charge with a maximum of 30 runners spread across the course.
Absolutely So won over seven furlongs at Goodwood early last month, is in good form and, like on that occasion, the four-year-old will have crack apprentice Oisin Murphy doing the steering.
A friend of mine, East Berkshire businessman Peter Ridgers, would love a winner at his local track with one of the horses he has in training with Clive Cox.
Jimmy Styles has ran more than 10 times at Ascot, but his last win there was in May, 2008.
The statistics are also against 10-year-old Jimmy Styles, as no horse over seven has ever won the Wokingham.
Rocky Ground, the mount of Frankie Dettori, is looking to follow up an impressive win at Windsor, while Northern raider York Glory bids to win this race for the second successive year.
Richard Hannon has two strong representatives in course and distance winner Ninjago, the choice of Richard Hughes, and Professor, who has Ryan Moore in the saddle.
Rocky Ground’s trainer Roger Varian has a great chance of winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (4.25) with Aljamaaheer.
This will be the five-year-old’s third appearance at the Royal meeting, finishing third in the Jersey Stakes two years ago and second in the Queen Anne Stakes 12 months ago.
He returned to Ascot in July to win over a mile.
Varian has now decided to drop him to sprinting and, with Paul Hanagan on board, he has high hopes of winning this Group 1 contest tomorrow.
His rivals include Slade Power, who is aiming to give Irish trainer Eddie Lynam and owners the Power family a notable double following stable-mate Sole Power’s victory in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday.
The Royal meeting ends with the Queen Alexandra Stakes (5.35) over 2m 5f with leading National Hunt trainers Alan King and Nicky Henderson represented by Tiger Cliff and Royal Irish Hussar respectively.
But a good each-way bet is the Willie Mullins-trained Pique Sous, who will have the assistance of Ryan Moore for this marathon