Lee Mottershead sets the scene for day two as Cracksman takes centre stage

And now, all those in the Cracksman camp will hope, for something completely different.

For while anyone aligned to Royal Ascot's day two bill topper will want to witness a repeat of the superstar thoroughbred's Coronation Cup success, they will also be keen to see a far more emphatic victory with the sort of dazzling display that hallmarked his most recent visit to the royal racecourse.

Cracksman returns to the scene of his British Champions Day romp seeking to give Mr Ascot himself, Frankie Dettori, another unforgettable afternoon at his most magnificent favourite racecourse.

Based on what we know he can do, Cracksman really should win. Based on what we know Wesley Ward-trained juvenile fillies can do here, Chelsea Cloisters really should win the Queen Mary Stakes. Who wins the terrifying punting puzzle that is the Royal Hunt Cup is anybody's guess.

To Aidan O'Brien, the Queen's Vase will look much less scary given his runners fill three of the first four places in the betting. The master of Ballydoyle also has Hydrangea running as favourite in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, in which Hollie Doyle and Josephine Gordon become the first female riders to take part in this year's meeting.

Gordon also participates in the Jersey Stakes. Unfortunately for her, and everyone else, O'Brien has a couple of runners. One of them, US import St Patrick's Day, is a brother to 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah.

With such impeccable breeding he may even bag a seat in the royal procession.

Any grounds for concern about Champion Stakes star?

The Gold Cup is Royal Ascot's signature race, the Queen Alexandra is its longest and the Wolferton sounds like its the one named after the late Queen Mother's dear old butler.

The most valuable and prestigious race is, quite fittingly, the one that has attracted the week's highest-rated horse.

Cracksman headlines the £750,000 Prince of Wales's Stakes as red-hot favourite to land a prize that has been won by some turf greats, including Brigadier Gerard, Mtoto and Dubai Millennium.

Over the same course and distance he now faces again, the John Gosden-trained four-year-old was magnificent when landing last season's Champion Stakes under regular partner Frankie Dettori, putting up a performance that made him joint-third in 2017's final world rankings.

That ended his previous campaign. His current one began with a storming success in the Prix Ganay, but last time he scrambled to a deeply unconvincing Coronation Cup triumph that left connections and backers with sweaty palms.

That may worry some, as might the fact Ascot will be serving up the quickest ground he has raced on. Others will point to the Epsom excuses – he is said not to like the track and bumped his head in the stalls – and also take encouragement from the fact his nearest market rival is Poet's Word. When they met in the Champion Cracksman thumped him by seven lengths.

Cracksman is the red-hot favourite for the Prince of Wales's Stakes but beware - he finished well down the field at the meeting in the 1961 King George V Stakes

Note, as well, this is not the first time Cracksman has run at the royal meeting.

Historian Chris Pitt has unearthed that in 1961 a different Cracksman, trained by Dick Hern and ridden by Doug Smith, finished unplaced in the King George V Handicap.

Far better is expected on this occasion.

Maroon and white returns to Ascot

What has for an age been first on Wednesday comes last as the Jersey Stakes moves from its traditional curtain-raising position to close the day two show.

For those of a certain age this is going to seem awfully strange, but for those of a certain age there will also be the nostalgic sight of Sheikh Mohammed's famous old maroo nand white silks returning to the meeting, with James Doyle wearing them aboard the Charlie Appleby-trained Glorious Journey.

Sheikh Mohammed's old maroon and white silks will be carried in the Jersey StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

The colours, now registered to the Dubai ruler's daughter Sheikha Al Jalila, were carried to victory at past Royal Ascots by the likes of dual Gold Cup hero Sadeem, Sonic Lady, Barathea and Shaadi.

They were also linked to Jersey success exactly two decades ago, when Diktat scored under Darryll Holland, seven years after Satin Flower and Steve Cauthen had won the Jersey in the Godolphin founder's original jersey.

The Hot To Trots are back for more

A small syndicate of enthusiasts last year denied a Wesley Ward-trained American hotpot victory in the Queen Mary Stakes. Twelve months on and a group of owners put together by the same team is trying to do the same.

The Hot To Trot gang filled the Ascot winner's enclosure with joy after Heartache defeated Happy Like A Fool.

That filly runs in Friday's Commonwealth Cup, but before then a different group of 80 Hot To Trot enthusiasts, who have each paid just £2,095 for a year's involvement, will be cheering on the Henry Candy-trained Kurious as she attempts to capture a dash whose betting is headed by Ward's Chelsea Cloisters.

Jubilant scenes: the owners of Heartache celebrate their victory in the Queen Mary StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Hot To Trot's joint-founder Sam Hoskins said: "It's ridiculous to be involved in the Queen Mary again. We'd be delighted if she finished in the first four, and she does have some kind of chance.

"The members all came in because of Heartache, and Kurious's breeder Marie Matthews came around to the idea of leasing her to us after seeing Heartache's Ascot win.

"She's a gorgeous filly and we're all incredibly excited."

Rose's Master raises handicap dilemma

In 2013 Britain’s future Olympic golf champion Justin Rose won his first major, the US Open, at Merion Golf Club. Rose now hopes to be at Ascot to see Master Merion, owned by his wife Kate and Vivienne Day – daughter of leading owner Derrick Smith – run in the Royal Hunt Cup.

Nobody could question Rose’s golf handicap, but BHA head of handicapping Dominic Gardiner-Hill faced an unenviable task allotting a mark to the Wesley Ward raider, who most recently finished third in an Arlington Park Grade 3 in May. The top number-cruncher settled on 105, giving Ryan Moore’s mount a 9st 7lb burden.

Racing Post Ratings expert Sam Walker said: "The BHA handicapper won't have had a lot to go on for Master Merion in terms of crossover form with European horses.

"RPRs are in the same boat but, for what it's worth, he looks high enough on our figures, as a horse typically needs to post an RPR 10lb above his official mark to win a Royal Hunt Cup, but Master Merion is rated 105 on both RPRs and BHA figures."

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