Top Irish jockey Mick Kinane, who had a frustrating opening day at Royal Ascot, can get back on top tomorrow.

Kinane teams up with San Sebastian in the £210,000 Gold Cup and is fancied to repeat his success of 12 months ago on Kayf Tara.

Yesterday, Kinane failed to get his name on the scoreboard, despite his main employer Aidan O'Brien saddling two winners. On both occasions, the jockey was aboard a different O'Brien horse and finished unplaced.

In San Sebastian, Kinane has a mount with an outstanding chance. A winner at this meeting two years ago, he was beaten less than four lengths into fourth-place behind Kayf Tara in this race last season after failing to get the best of runs. He went on to gain compensation in the Prid Du Cadran over this marathon distance at Longchamp.

John Dunlop's charge ran a blinder on his reappearance in the Sagaro Stakes at Newmarket, finishing second to Solo Mio after going for home a long way out.

A guaranteed stayer, San Sebastian looks the one to beat in this two-and-a-half mile showpiece, in which Marienbard, winner of last month's Yorkshire Cup on Knavesmire, has good prospects of finishing in the money.

Kevin Darley, who had a winner and a second yesterday, can add to his tally aboard Rockerlong in the Ribblesdale Stakes.

Geoff Wragg's filly scored nicely at Chester last month, beating Gay Heroine, who has since finished sixth to Imagine in the Epsom Oaks.

Rockerlong is again expected to have the measure of Gay Heroine in this Group 2 contest and could well provide his Sheriff Hutton jockey with another victory.

Izmail showed lightning reactions to win at Newcastle last month and, although he faces a stiff rise in class in the Norfolk Stakes, Ed Dunlop's speedy two-year-old is napped to take plenty of catching in this five-furlongs dash.

Kieren Fallon, who drew first blood at the meeting aboard Medicean in yesterday's Queen Anne Stakes, has the mount on the Newmarket raider.

Tim Easterby's star sprinter Pipalong, winner of the Duke Of York Stakes on Knavesmire last month, lines-up for the Cork And Orrery Stakes alongside last year's winner of this Group 2 prize, Superior Premium, trained by Richard Fahey.

The two local hopes are expected to run big races but my idea of the winner is former top-class two-year-old Primo Valentino, a quite brilliant winner of the Abernant Stakes on his reappearance at Newmarket. Richard Quinn will again be in the saddle.

The King George V Handicap looks tricky but Tiyoun is a horse on the upgrade, who is fancied to be involved in the finish.

Trained at Storton in North Yorkshire by David Barker, Tiyoun has really found his form lately, winning at Redcar and Ripon. He is fancied to cope with this step up in class.

At Ripon, Caqui d'Or will be hard to beat in the Levy Board Handicap.

John Dunlop's three-year-old got off the mark in good style at Beverley last month and is open to further improvement.

In the Beaumont Insurance Ladies' Derby, Santiburi Lad, a determined winner on this course recently, should go well as he steps up in trip.

Tomorrow's tips:

ROYAL ASCOT

2-30 Rockerlong

3-05 Izmail (NAP)

3-45 San Sebastian

4-20 Primo Valentino

4-55 Tiyoun

5-30 Ecclesiastical

Ripon

2-10 Transcendantale

2-45 Mananan McLir

3-20 Soba Jones

3-55 Lennel

4-30 Santiburi Lad

5-05 Caqui d'Or

5-40 Alleluia

Updated: 13:01 Wednesday, June 20, 2001