THIS YEAR’S Royal Ascot meeting comes to a close with Saturday’s seven-race card, where the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (3.40pm) is the feature contest.

Australia are doubly represented here with Joliestar and Overpass, the latter backing up from his valiant third in the King Charles III on Tuesday.

I respect these two, but given they will take up a lot of the World Pool money, along with the Japanese raider, Satono Reve, I want to find some value in these internationally commingled markets.

Already advised in our ante-post column, COMANCHE BRAVE is one I think will run very well.

He looks a highly progressive sprinter, having been dropped in trip by Donnacha O’Brien to great effect.

His first run over six since breaking his maiden two years ago was an excellent fifth to Ka Ying Rising in Group One company at Sha Tin back in April.

He showed that effort behind the world’s best sprinter was no fluke when landing the Group Two Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh in May.

I think he will still be underestimated in the World Pool markets, and he rates as a Win and Place play here with the returning former star jockey, Pierre-Charles Boudot, in the plate.

SAJIR also catches the eye.

Andre Fabre’s runner has been a pretty consistent sprinter in the past couple of years, regularly mixing it with some of the fastest horses around.

His most eye-catching piece of form is when he beat last year’s winner of this race, Lazzat, in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

With a nice Group Three win over five under his belt to sharpen him up, he is worth a shot in the Win and Place pools too.

LAKE FOREST is one I won’t forgive myself for leaving out.

He’s clearly been a talented operator for some time but had struck me as a bit trip-less. Neither quick enough for a standard six furlongs nor quite getting home over the mile.

However, he’s only had the opportunity to run over this stiff six furlongs once before, where he was a fine second in the Group One Commonwealth Cup back in 2024.

After a dominant recent victory over seven at Haydock, I’m ready to roll him into a Quinella (pick the first two home in any order) with those above.

In the opening contest, the Group Two Norfolk Stakes (2.30pm), Aidan O’Brien will look to continue his march to his Royal Ascot double-hundred with CARRY THE FLAG.

He’s likely to be a short-priced favourite and probably deservedly so given how well his form has worked out this week.

He was second to the Coventry winner, Great Barrier Reef, on his last start, and beat the Albany second, Sun Goddess, in the run before.

However, I think he’ll take up a huge part of the pool, so I’m keen to find some value against him in the Win and Place markets.

Clive Cox is no stranger to training a high-class speedster and I think his ORTHODOX could give the rest plenty to think about.

He looked rapid on his only start at Salisbury, dominating a five-furlong maiden in the style of a potentially smart horse.

This will be a whole lot harder, but I’m prepared to chance it that this is Cox’s next top sprinter.

We best not totally discount Carry The Flag given his form and connections, so I’ll roll him and the Cox horse into a Quinella, along with Archie Watson’s FLIGHT SIGNAL, who created a big impression on debut at Bath.

POINTERS                                                                                   SATURDAY

Orthodox (Win and Place)                                                       2.30pm                  Royal Ascot

Orthodox, Carry The Flag, Flight Signal (Quinella)          2.30pm               Royal Ascot

Comanche Brave (Win and Place)                                         3.40pm                Royal Ascot

Sajir (Win and Place)                                                                    3.40pm            Royal Ascot

Comanche Brace, Sajir, Lake Forest (Quinella)               3.40pm               Royal Ascot