I wonder what price Ahmad Ajtebi would have been to make his first ride at Royal Ascot a winning one?

Defying the odds in no uncertain terms, and creating a piece of history, Ajtebi became the first Emirati jockey to ride a winner at the most prestigious racing festival in the world in the Buckingham Palace Stakes on Dandy Nicholls’ Regal Parade.

With a bulging $8 million dollar purse over five days, it is understandable that Royal Ascot is fast becoming a truly international sporting event.

We’re now at the midway stage and there is still some fantastic action to look forward to over the next three days. Today’s Ascot Gold Cup looks a typically mouth-watering renewal with Aidan O’Brien’s Yeats bidding to secure his third victory in the race.

He will surely take plenty of beating, but I have a sneaky feeling that last year’s second, Geordieland will reverse the placings this time round.

I was so pleased to see New Approach come home first in the Epsom Derby last Saturday. The scenes shared by all in the winner’s enclosure were something many will never experience again.

Head groom Pat O’Donovan was understandably ecstatic and, as he fought back the tears, it was clear that exercise rider Adrian Taylor’s dream had now become a reality.

Jim Bolger, the winning handler, had been subject to much unfair criticism prior to the weekend showpiece. I offered my opinion on the situation in last week’s XPRESS and it was great that Mr Bolger was able to give a thumbs-up to those that knocked him. His decision was obviously well vindicated.

I am disappointed with all the stick Irish handler Jim Bolger is receiving over the U-turn on running his stable star, New Approach in Saturday’s Epsom Derby.

So what if he changed his mind? He’s perfectly entitled to. He is, of course, responsible for the training of the horse on a day-to-day basis and not for appeasing the European betting public, as many would lead you to believe.

Horse racing, especially in Britain and Ireland, seems to revolve around betting, and while it is obviously a major factor to keep the industry afloat, quite often trainers come under close scrutiny if they do not keep members of the public informed on the well-being of members of their string for reasons of ante-post betting.