THIS afternoon the curtain comes down on another fabulous five days of top-class action at Royal Ascot, but not before Airwave (3.45) bids to confirm her position as Europe's leading three-year-old sprinter in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes.

After a long winter's rest, Airwave, the undisputed queen of the speed ranks, burst back on the scene with a simply sublime success in last month's Temple Stakes at Sandown, where she came from last to first to collect the Group Two contest in a common canter.

It was a breathtaking display by Henry Candy's filly, especially as she forfeited over five lengths to her opponents by virtue of an uncharacteristically slow exit from the starting stalls.

The main opposition to Airwave's potential domination of the £250,000 six-furlong race will surely emerge from the Australian raider Choisir, who makes a quick-fire reappearance following his spine-tingling all-the-way win in Tuesday's King's Stand Stakes.

Punters virtually ignored Choisir on that occasion, sending the blinkered southern-hemisphere colt off at 20-1. No such fancy odds will be available about the four-year-old now, although the combination of his high draw, plus having two races in such rapid succession, may ultimately count against him.

Having to choose between three of my favourite thoroughbreds from our region, Bollin Eric (3.05), Bandari, and Zindabad, is an unenviable task in the search for the winner of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes.

Twelve months ago Zindabad won the race for Mark Johnston, however Zindabad is not in the greatest of form at present and could struggle against the yard's other runner, Bandari.

Some horses do suffer from stage fright and the negative as far as Bandari is concerned revolves around his predisposition to sweat cobs and boil over in the parade ring before such heavyweight clashes.

Bearing in mind the Johnston team is enjoying such a fantastic week, please don't be put off backing either Bandari or Zindabad, although my money will be invested each-way on Bollin Eric (3.45).

Kevin Darley unleashed Tim Easterby's St Leger 2002 winner far too soon in the Yorkshire Cup and it was no surprise when he and Bollin Eric ran out of petrol and were collared late on by Warrsan and Mamool.

The impressive burst of acceleration shown by Bollin Eric at York, albeit a couple of furlongs before the real injection of pace was required, did hint he is at least as effective over today's distance of 12 furlongs, compared with the mile-and-three-quarter St Leger trip.

Whatever the fate of Mark's duo in the Hardwicke, Waterstone (4.55) should not be missed in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

Considering the stable have already mopped up three of the two-year-old races at the Royal meeting via Attraction, Pearl Of Love and Russian Valour, Waterstone has to be regarded as a leading contender for the five-furling juvenile dash.

Jockey Darryll Holland only had to push his mount out with hands-and-heels to prevail at Ripon on Waterstone, a facile victory which gave the strong impression there was much more to come from the son of Cape Cross.

The David Nicholls-trained Fire Up The Band (4.20) has been favourite for the Wokingham Handicap ever since he smashed up a similarly big field of red-hot speedsters at Newmarket last month.

Fire Up The Band has a dreadful draw in stall 19, because the place to be is adjacent to either rail.

As things go the selection will have to do things the hard way and make his way home up the centre of the track. It is a very tough call, but if Fire Up The Band is to progress into the Pattern class races, then he might still have enough in hand.

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