Ben Linfoot pinpoints five handicappers to keep an eye on for Royal Ascot

Our Ben Linfoot highlights five horses that it could be worth keeping an eye on in the handicaps at Royal Ascot.

ABE LINCOLN, Britannia Handicap, best-price 12/1

Jeremy Noseda is well capable of lining one up for a big Royal Ascot Handicap.

The Newmarket handler landed a famous plunge when Laddies Poker Two scooted home in the 2010 Wokingham, a year on from stablemate Forgotten Voice's win in the Royal Hunt Cup.

And this year he's got his sights on the Britannia Handicap with Abe Lincoln, an American bred that looks likely to relish the fast ground that the Royal meeting so often throws up.

The Discreet Cat colt is massively unexposed, especially on turf following just one run on grass, and his run at York last time in a hot handicap was hugely encouraging with the Britannia in mind.

Held up by Jim Crowley, Abe Lincoln was impeded two furlongs out but stayed on really nicely once in the clear to finish a never-nearer four-and-three-quarter-length fifth.

The extra furlong in the Britannia looks likely to bring about more improvement and that York form has already been boosted by the second and fourth, Chief Whip and Lagenda respectively, as they both finished close seconds at Haydock on their subsequent starts.

Chief Whip also looks bound for the Britannia, but he was bumped up 5lb for finishing runner-up at Haydock while Noseda has kept Abe Lincoln's powder dry.

In fact, the handicapper dropped Abe Lincoln 1lb following York, and off a mark of 92 he's a live one to add another big pot to Noseda's Royal Ascot roll of honour.

Watch: Abe Lincoln's fifth in the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap at York

BALTY BOYS, Royal Hunt Cup, best-price 33/1

Balty Boys was an unlucky loser in the Royal Hunt Cup last year, but he's a big price at 33/1 to right those wrongs this time around.

Brian Ellison's charge was four-and-a-half lengths clear of his closest rival on the near side in last year's race, finishing first of 15 in his group, but was fourth overall with the far side, led by GM Hopkins, holding sway.

That was off a mark of 108 and he underlined his liking for the straight course at Ascot when he was the narrowest of seconds off the same rating in the International Stakes the following month.

He won a Group Three at Haydock in September and finished the season rated 112, a number which he began this campaign off when running third in a conditions race at Thirsk.

Since then he was again beaten by GM Hopkins at Ascot before finishing way down the field in the Hambleton Stakes at York, a track he has never run well at, after being held up in the rear from a bad draw.

While recent good form is obviously lacking, the good thing is the handicapper has dropped him 7lb since the start of the season to a mark of 105.

That's 3lb lower than those excellent runs at Ascot last season, and a return to the straight mile he thrives upon could well spark a return to form now he's handicapped to run a big race.

Watch: Balty Boys' fourth in last year's Royal Hunt Cup

DURETTO, Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap, best-price 8/1

Andrew Balding has a score to settle in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes and he might finally have the horse for the job in Duretto.

The trainer's father, Ian, won this race a couple of times in the early nineties and the younger Balding has had several goes at emulating the achievement, but has never got close to landing the prize.

However, his best chance came seven years ago when Hatton Flight was sent off a 15/2 shot on the back of a hat-trick of wins, only to stumble out of the stalls and unseat a young William Buick.

Duretto, though, looks to have an even better chance than poor old Hatton Flight.

Being a half-brother to Nabatean there was always hope he'd make an even better four-year-old and that certainly looks to be the case following two runs this season.

His first run came at Ascot on the fastest ground he'd ever encountered, but he was very well-backed on course and ran a cracking race in second behind the well-ridden winner King Bolete.

On the back of that he was again well supported in his Epsom assignment on Derby day, but, despite moving through a gap to lead two out, he never looked at home on the track and Balding reported afterwards that he lost a hind shoe.

Whether it was the track, or the lack of that shoe, Duretto is better than he showed when a still-respectable fifth at Epsom and he's going to be very much of interest back at Ascot.

In three runs at the track he has two victories and that aforementioned second to his name and the potential remains for him to progress beyond being a handicapper.

Watch: Duretto's second behind King Bolete in the Leo Bancroft Signature Haircare Handicap at Ascot

MIX AND MINGLE, Sandringham Handicap, best-price 20/1

Last year the Sandringham winner came straight out of the 1000 Guineas and lightning could well strike twice with Mix And Mingle looking a likely candidate for the mile handicap.

The lightly-raced Exceed And Excel filly also has an entry in the Coronation Stakes, but if she takes the easier option then she could well outclass the Sandringham field off a mark of 104.

She ran well in the Nell Gwyn when proving she'd trained on on her reappearance and then wasn't disgraced in seventh in the 1000 Guineas, where she finished a seven-length seventh behind Minding after being squeezed for room a furlong from home.

Saved for Royal Ascot since, she looks the type to thrive dropped down in class and the last time she ran in handicap company she made a deep impression with a cosy victory.

That was in a Newmarket nursery off a mark of 82, but it was a hot race with the second, third and fourth all winning since (the fourth Miss En Rose is now rated 92 and the fifth, Make Fast, is now rated 96).

Even though that was back in October, trainer Chris Wall nominated the Sandringham as a 2016 target in the aftermath of that race, citing her as 'a filly for the summer, as she won't mind top of the ground'.

Watch: Mix And Mingle's run behind Minding and co in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket

TOOFI, Wokingham Handicap, best-price 25/1

Robert Cowell has won just about every big sprint going.

He's won the King's Stand at Royal Ascot twice with Prohibit and Goldream (the latter won the Prix de l'Abbaye and the Palace House Stakes too), while Kingsgate Native won him a Temple Stakes and Jwala caused an almighty shock in the Nunthorpe.

He's capable of lining one up for a big sprint handicap pot as well; Intrinsic, the 2014 Stewards' Cup winner at Glorious Goodwood, is evidence of that.

That horse went off 10/1 for last year's Wokingham, but finished last with something obviously amiss. Alas, it proved to be his last performance before he was packed off to stud.

But Cowell returns to Royal Ascot on the hunt for his first Wokingham success with another credible challenger this time around.

Toofi is the horse, a five-year-old that arrived at Cowell's from Roger Varian's in the spring, and he ran a race full of promise on his first go over five furlongs at York's Dante meeting.

It proved too sharp a test, but he finished his race off nicely and he's expected to make giant strides with another month under his belt at Cowell's.

A return to six furlongs is obviously going to benefit him and he went close off similar marks in the Stewards' Cup and Ayr Gold Cup last season.

He does only have one career win to his name, but he's progressed well without winning and has been remarkably consistent since being gelded.

If Cowell turns to headgear it should be seen as a positive, too. Both Goldream and Prohibit wore cheekpieces, and Kingsgate Native has donned a hood plenty of times as well, while Toofi ran a cracking race in Scotland the only previous time he has been fitted with a visor.

Watch: Toofi's close fourth in a first-time visor in last season's Ayr Gold Cup