3:45 Royal Ascot: Moonlight Cloud to rain on Black Caviar’s parade

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes literally revolves solely around Black Caviar, as she attempts to make a successful racecourse debut in Britain with her 21st career victory.

She has hardly broken sweat in brushing aside every challenger put in front of her back in Australia and it is 2/9 in the Royal Ascot odds that the winning streak continues.

However, this is almost certain to prove her toughest career race as not only does she have to overcome her round-the-world travelling, but also some dangerous opposition, who have not all been scared off by her accomplishments.

There has only been one winning favourite in the past decade and in the last four years younger horses have dominated, which are trends that go against Black Caviar.

She is now six and so will need to end the run of three or four-year-old winners to be successful.

One horse in the right age bracket is Moonlight Cloud and trainer Freddie Head insists his filly is not just travelling for second-place honours.

Moonlight Cloud won last year’s Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville when handing a four-length beating to Society Rock and was then largely unlucky at Ascot behind Deacon Blues in the British Champion Sprint Stakes when failing to get a clear passage through the field.

She has since come out and won stylishly under hands and heels in her only start this season and if there are any problems with the favourite, she can take advantage.

Moonlight Cloud is 6/1 to win the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and will arguably also be better suited to the softer ground underfoot.

However, given that none of the 19 females to have tried have won the race in the last ten years, some punters may want to oppose both and opt for Society Rock to repeat his victory of 12 months ago at 10/1.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.