Give Back Calais sidestepped Royal Ascot but looks capable of winning a big prize and his turn can come in the Palan Stakes at the Heath meeting tomorrow.

Peter Makin's charge was a little unlucky not to score at the prestigious fixture last year when he finished second in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

But the decision to give the Royal meeting a miss can pay off in tomorrow's £25,000 contest.

Give Back Calais showed on his reappearance at Newbury that he is a colt with a future in sprint contests like this, winning a small maiden despite hitting the front sooner than he would have wanted.

Provided that the rains stay away from Ascot, he must go very close.

As soon as Black Knight passed the post in first place last time out at Thirsk, trainer Sean Woods nominated the Milcars New Stakes as the next target and just to show that all plans go to waste, he can win the Listed contest.

Woods made the point that races can be hard to find for horses who are below Group class but too good to run in handicaps. However, he seems to have found a rare exception here.

Black Knight turned in an impressively tough performance at Thirsk, setting the early pace before fighting off allcomers under George Duffield.

Those battling qualities will stand him in good stead in this contest and he can oblige before possibly being sold to race on the other side of the Atlantic.

Chem's Truce appears to be improving at a rate of knots and must have a chance in the £40,000 Ladbroke Stakes.

After making a promising seasonal debut when fourth at Doncaster, he stepped up on that effort when winning a 19-runner contest at Kempton, pulling nicely clear without having to be unduly knocked about.

Trainer Willie Muir seems to have got his string in good nick and looks to have laid Chem's Truce out for this nice prize.