Paul Kealy's play of the day at Ascot

Willem Twee
4.55 Ascot

The most intriguing runner for me at Ascot is Willem Twee, who returns from 11 months off in the Fever-Tree Handicap (4.55), with James Fanshawe having put him in the Group 1 Champions Sprint next month.

Back in 2015 Fanshawe famously removed The Tin Man from the Champions Sprint the day before he turned an Ascot handicap into a procession and then had to supplement him back in (he finished fourth that year and won it 12 months later), and if he thinks Willem Twee is worth an entry at the top level he should be winning this off a mark of 95.

He had looked very promising early last season before disappointing in a handicap on this track when the ground was too soft, and we shouldn't hold a defeat on his final start last term at Kempton against him.

Although 2-1 favourite that day, he was running in a conditions race in which he was between 7lb and 12lb badly in with five of his six rivals, the winner being the 107-rated Mutafawwig.

There's every chance Willem Twee has improved since being gelded, and the son of Ribchester, a Jersey and Queen Anne Stakes winner and twice a runner-up in the QE II in four Ascot starts, can serve it up to Dark Trooper, who has an 8lb rise to overcome following his Shergar Cup win.