WHAT A GOOD start to my Royal Ascot week when my horse Lady Iona came second at 50-1 in the 8.45pm at Pontefract last night, just as I have finalised plans to move house to North Yorkshire later this month.

Ribble Assembly is running at Nottingham with Jimmy Quinn on board tomorrow night and I believe he will run a big race.

But the highlight of my week is definitely focused around Friday at a top-hat-and-tails bedecked Royal Ascot.

Saffizz is a runner in theWindsor Castle Stakes and he was in great form for his final preparation on the gallops last Friday.

Jimmy Fortune is booked to ride, we expect a big run from the horse, but it's a very hard race with the best two year olds in the country to contend with.

However, it would give me a great send off from the Swan at Whalley pub if he does well, as I intend to make my new home-base over the border in North Yorkshire at the end of this month after eight great years living in Whalley.

Trainer Tim Easterby told me he is not going to run Pipadash in the same race as Saffizz. He believes that the Callaghan horse Lord Pacal will win the race. I think that Optimaite is the best two-year-old I have seen out this season, but it's a very hard race.

I would love to collect the trophy with Saffizz as I worked at Windsor Castle 30 years ago with the Welsh Guards, so I would really mean something special. The Elite boys from Earby and Barnoldswick, who have shares in our Saffizz, have really gone to town. They are travelling to Ascot in a big American stretched limo.

At Ascot tomorrow, I look no further than Rowassi to win the Queen Mary Stakes. Henry Cecil's horses are in great form and you can expect him to have a very good Ascot with Enrique helping him get off the mark for the day.

On Thursday, Fairy Godmother is expected to run a big race for her Majesty the Queen. This horse has ben very impressive in her two wins to date and the mile-and-a-half of the Ribblesdale Stakes should suit her.

For my nap of the week at Ascot on Friday is Further Outlook of Dandy Nichols in the Wokingham. My good friend Mark Birch rode him in his final preparation gallop at York racecourse at 7am last Saturday morning. Mark was most impressed and although his saddle slipped during the gallop, he was several lengths clear of a horse who won at Pontefract last night. That sounds good to me with Dandy Nichols' horses in such good form.

Ascot (Wednesday) - Rowassi (Nap)

Ascot (Wednesday) - Enrique

Nottingham (Wednesday) - Ribble Assembly (EW)

Ascot (Thursday) - Fairy Godmother (Nap)

Ascot (Friday) - Further Outlook (Nap)

Ascot (Friday) - Optimaite

Ascot (Saturday) - Farrfesheena

Ascot (Saturday) - Holy Blue

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.