2:30 Royal Ascot: Producer to open Hannon and Hughes account

The team of Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes did not enjoy the greatest opening day at Royal Ascot, but things can begin more rosily on day two as Producer can bring his Epsom form to Ascot to triumph in the Jersey Stakes.

Hannon and Hughes would have had particularly big ambitions for Sir Prancealot in the Coventry Stakes and Lyric Ace in the final race on the card in the Windsor Castle Stakes, but both flattered to deceive.

However, the duo are not without chances again on day two and there seems little to justify why Producer is such a big price at 20/1 in the Royal Ascot odds to win the Jersey Stakes, especially as they took the race with Strong Suit 12 months ago.

It is rare to see such an Epsom specialist, as he has won his four career starts at the track and lost all three elsewhere at other courses.

But he was impressive when winning the Surrey Stakes by four lengths last time and has claimed victory in four of his last five starts over the Ascot trip of 7f.

Sentaril seems most likely to go off favourite at 7/2 and she has hardly been tested on winning both career starts.

The big questions she has to answer is that only one filly has won the Jersey Stakes since 1991, while all of the last ten favourites for the race have been beaten.

Of the others that are fancied, Reply represents the Aidan O’Brien yard and has to be respected as he brings the best form into the race when third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Aljamaaheer will appreciate the recent lack of rain and will be a big danger at 5/1 if the ground is not too soft, while Valbchek has been well advertised by Jeremy Noseda and Ryan Moore.

The fact that Valbchek is Moore’s choice from a host of options is a positive, but only three of the last 12 winners had entered the race with an official rating below 106.

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