THE final day of Royal Ascot behind closed doors and it is a real cracker with the Golden Jubilee Stakes the feature, but not the race which offers the best bet of the day.

That honour goes to the underrated AIR RAID (nap) in the big field Wokingham Handicap due off at 4.10. The first two in the betting, the progressive pair Mubakker and Bielsa, are probably still well ahead of their handicap marks, but they will probably need to be being drawn in stalls 2 and 3 respectively. That doesn’t mean that they can’t win, but the value is to have an each-way bet on something drawn better.

The selection has a cracking record with give in the ground, but good going will suffice for this son of Raven’s Pass.

Yet to race at Ascot, the handicapper has dropped him two pounds since the back end of last season when both York and Goodwood wouldn’t have suited him as he does tend to want a stiffer finish which he will get here.

The icing on the cake is that the five-year-old has a beaut of a draw in box number 21 and if Jack Garritty doesn’t go to quick with him and blasts off in front and instead garners some cover, then I suspect he could go really well at around the 33/1 marker.

Of course there are numerous other players in this event apart from the market leaders, the best of which is probably Summerghand who was a huge eye-catcher when finishing his race off nicely behind Tinto at Newmarket. I have upgraded that run as frontrunners were at a distinct advantage and he had to come from some way off the pace. The Northern raider also has some useful form here, albeit over an extra 220 yards.

The feature Golden Jubilee looks wide open this year, with the fairy story being the cheaply purchased Irish raider Sceptical after he scooted up at Naas last time out.

Before that race I had backed him at 20/1 for the King’s Stand Stakes so was gutted that he was switched to this.

However, I don’t think he will be able to deal with last year’s Commonwealth Cup third and Haydock Park Sprint Cup hero HELLO YOUMZAIN.

He is reported to be in fine shape at home by Kevin Ryan and I think he deserves to be favourite over the Irish runner based purely on form in the book.

In fact a bigger danger to him could come from Andrew Balding’s Shine So Bright. A strong traveller who goes well fresh, I loved the way he went when he landed the Free Handicap on his seasonal debut last season and then of course he had his finest hour when beating Laurens at York. A double-figure price underestimates his chance with the yard in such scintillating form.

In the finale, last year’s Ascot Stakes’ hero THE GRAND VISIR should relish the two-and-three-quarter miles of the Queen Alexandra Stakes at 4.40 and has the versatile Who Dares Wins to beat.

But my other double figured priced wager comes in the opening Silver Wokingham, the consolation for the big handicap of the day where BLUE MIST (nb) has to be the call.

Fourth in a big heritage handicap here last July over seven furlongs, I have always thought that a fast run six is more his domain because of the way he travels and can quicken in his races.

Nicely sited in stall 20, as long as the ground doesn’t quicken up too much, he is a huge player under the brilliant young talent that is Jason Watson.

Finally at Newmarket have a second look at both RIVER NYMPH (2.15) and SCARAMANGA (4.25). The last named will adore the juice in the ground and still looks favourably treated to me off a rating of 85 under the very capable Megan Nicholls.