Tamburlaine can put two Classic defeats behind him and prove himself a top-drawer miler with victory in the £250,000 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot today.

The fine, dry weather looks to have come just in time for the son of Royal Academy, who can barely do a tap on soft going.

It was the rain-drenched ground at the Curragh that saw Tamburlaine disappoint in the Entenmann's Irish 2,000 Guineas when he could only finish fifth to Black Minnaloushe.

However, he had shown his true colours on more favourable conditions in the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas, finishing an excellent runner-up to Golan.

Being beaten by only a length and a quarter at Newmarket by the subsequent Derby runner-up is top-class form and Richard Hannon's colt deserves another chance at the highest level.

He has continued to thrive on the gallops since his Curragh reverse and can claim the scalps of two Guineas winners in Black Minnaloushe (Irish) and Noverre (French) in the feature race on today's opening programme of the four-day extravaganza.

Swallow Flight can kick the meeting off in style by going two better than he did last year in the Queen Anne Stakes.

Geoff Wragg's five-year-old ran a cracking race in this Group Two event 12 months ago when a close third to Kalinisi and Dansili.

He occupied the same spot behind Medicean and Warningford in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month but was not helped by having to make the running.

With a lead today and with the advantage of a 5lb pull with Medicean, Swallow Flight can come out on top.

Wragg can complete a famous double by saddling Gallery God to win the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

The five-year-old was short-headed in this race last year by Katiykha and showed his well-being when beating Blue Sugar by three-quarters of a length at Thirsk two weeks ago.

The unbeaten Danehurst can make a make a spectacular seasonal debut to capture the King's Stand Stakes.

Sir Mark Prescott's filly looked a young sprinter with a big future when winning the Group Three Convivial Stakes at Newbury on her final start as a two-year-old.

She had earlier smashed the five-furlong course record for her age at Wolverhampton on her only second start.

Henry Cecil has a tremendous record at Royal Ascot and he can strike with Year Two Thousand in the Group Three Queen's Vase.

The son of Darshaan has only run twice but looked a smart stayer in the making when slamming Xtra by four lengths at Newmarket earlier this month.

A well-backed evens favourite, he was going clear off his field at the end of the mile and a half and the step up to two miles should see further improvement.

Cecil has a fancied candidate for the Coventry Stakes in Western Verse, but preference is for Meshaheer.

His trainer David Loder has had nine individual two-year-old winners form 11 runners and Meshaheer created a big impression when winning on his debut by six lengths from Platinum Duke at Doncaster last month.

He looks the one to beat in what looks an above-average renewal of this Group Three event.