UNLIKE the hapless David Beckham in Portugal on Sunday, I don't expect Tony James (2.30) to duff his shot in the opening race of five fantastic days of top-class action from Royal Ascot.

Tony James is not exactly a simple penalty kick in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, but with a one-from-one record there's got to be the possibility that the colt is something pretty special.

Clive Brittain's exciting juvenile made no mistake on his debut at Pontefract, burning off one of today's rivals, Dario Gee Gee, with embarrassing ease. Paddock observers reckoned Tony James would tighten up a tad for that run, yet jockey Darryll Holland was still able to ease his mount down over the last 50 yards.

Two-year-old form at Pontefract is normally fairly reliable and if as expected Tony James improves say 7-10lbs for the outing, he must have a cracking each-way chance in the curtain-raising six-furlong dash.

The huge 19-runner field will be going even faster for the following five-furlong King's Stand Stakes over the minimum trip of five furlongs.

Although two international raiders, Cape Of Good Hope and Lydgate, from Hong Kong and the USA respectively, add considerable spice to proceedings, my money will be on leading home squad representative, Frizzante (3.05).

With a guaranteed white-hot pace up front, don't expect Frizzante, an archetypal hold-up horse, to appear on the scene until the final furlong. It takes some bottle on a world famous stage like Ascot to execute such tactics, however if ever there is a jockey up for the job, it is cool-as-a-cucumber Irish ace, Johnny Murtagh.

Having prevailed in the contest 12 months ago on Choisir, Murtagh knows precisely when to land the knock-out punch and in the guise of Frizzante, a last gasp winner of the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket, he has the perfect sparring partner.

English, Irish, and German 2,000 Guineas heroes, Haafhd, Bachelor Duke and Brunel, take each other on in the one-mile £250,000 Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes.

It really is a totally impossible race from a punting point of view and I'm going to give all three a swerve in favour of a small each-way bet on the outsider, Pearl Of Love (3.45).

Irish-based owner Mick Doyle has enjoyed incredible luck at the meeting over the past few years, winning back-to-back Hardwicke Stakes with Fruits Of Love (1999-2000), as well as a memorable double 12 months ago courtesy of Fantastic Love and today's tip, Pearl Of Love, in the Listed Chesham Stakes.

Trainer Mark Johnston has always had this race in mind for Doyle's smart three-year-old, who despite disappointing in France nine days ago, has looked a million bucks on recent workouts at Middleham's training gallops.

Johnston, top trainer at the meeting for the past two seasons, is worried about coughing in his yard (see above), nonetheless some of the horses are seemingly unaffected, including one of his three Ascot Stakes raiders, Riyadh (4.55).

Riyadh won the race in 2002 when in the care of Martin Pipe, and seeing as the gelding is now a monster 20lbs lower in the weights, he could again hold sway in the two-and-a-half-mile lung-busting slog.

Much nearer to home, Thirsk cannot hope to compete with the Royal fixture, but that doesn't mean backers should not avail themselves of a winning opportunity via Raphael (4.00).

Tim Easterby's strapping mare is as game as a pebble, so if the Anthony Fawcett Memorial Fillies's Handicap does turn out to be a pitched battle in the closing stages, she is the one most likely to find extra reserves.

* William Haggas is hoping an apparently unfavourable stalls position does not stop Majestic Missile from blowing his rivals away in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot today.

The three-year-old has been drawn towards the outside of the 19 runners for the Group Two contest, but looks sure to be sent off a warm favourite with champion jockey Kieren Fallon in the saddle. He is running over the same course and distance which saw him land the Cornwallis Stakes in October on his last racecourse appearance.

''We've been planning this for a long time, so I hope it pays off. Stall 13 is not ideal, but I can't do anything about that,'' Haggas told At The Races. ''He's got bags of speed and he had a turn of foot last year We'll see tomorrow if he's still got it.'