International Affairs: London – America’s 13th Triple Crown winner Justify showed the world last weekend he is the undisputed king of the dirt, but for those who prefer their racing on turf there is no meeting on the globe that compares with the five days of Royal Ascot – and the 2018 renewal is now just around the corner.

Piere Strydom: I have been enjoying the rest I have been forced to take but as I have said previously, it is more a precaution than anything serious.

International Affairs: London – The Investec Derby is now only 10 days away and the final piece was slotted into the Epsom jigsaw on Tuesday when John Gosden revealed that Roaring Lion, last week’s impressive Dante Stakes winner, will run in the world’s most famous race on the historic Surrey Downs on Saturday week.

Geoff Lester’s International Affairs: London – I hope (and so does my bank manager) that we saw both the Derby and Oaks winners at Newmarket in the UK last weekend – in the form of Saxon Warrior (2000 Guineas) and Lah Ti Dar (Pretty Polly Stakes). But we’ll get a chance to assess the potential Epsom opposition at this week’s popular three-day meeting at Chester.

International Affairs: London – Tony Millard, twice champion trainer in South Africa before he switched to Hong Kong at the end of 1999, hopes Singapore Sling’s light season might tilt the scales in his favour when his stable star drops to 1600m for the Group 1 Champions Mile (about R18 million) at Sha Tin this weekend.

International Affairs: London – The 2018 UK Flat season finally comes alive next week when the Guineas trials are run at Newmarket and Newbury, but our more immediate task is to find you the winner of Saturday’s Grand National, the greatest steeplechase in the world.