Mastercraftsman is likely to go off a hot favourite to give Aidan O'Brien a third consecutive St James's Palace Stakes - and his sixth in nine years - as Royal Ascot gets under way tomorrow.

The colt was fifth in the 2,000 Guineas to subsequent Derby winner Sea The Stars, before running out a ready winner of the Irish equivalent at the Curragh.

The conditions could not have been more extreme. Just a shade firmer than the M11 on the Rowley Mile, the ground was heavy at the Curragh. Many a Guineas winner has been denied further glory when coming to Ascot and though the Irish mile Classic did not look a top race, Mastercraftsman could only beat what was put in front of him.

Ask anyone from the O'Brien stable and they will say that he is a colt with "bags of class and courage". Mastercraftsman also has a high cruising speed and is adaptable on any ground.

After Epsom, when the Ballydoyle pacemakers did not really do their job in the Derby, the riders of stablemates Born To Be King and Set Sail should ensure Mastercraftsman will have a truly-run race.

His form makes him the obvious choice, yet is there a case for opposing him with any of his nine rivals? Delegator is like a child who is being praised by his parents, just before he's caught stealing from the headmaster's cookie jar.

Brian Meehan has continued to talk up the colt, only to find himself looking for excuses. After the 2,000 Guineas, where he was second, the ground was said to be too fast. Before his subsequent flop, when last to Mastercraftsman in Ireland, Meehan cited a soft-ground pedigree. So what are we to make of the Craven Stakes winner, who is out to repair a tarnished reputation?

Unsurprisingly, Meehan has not lost faith. He said: "Delegator has been working very well and he is in great form."

The feeling is he is a high-class colt who has a major chance of shaking off the 'unlucky' tag with Jimmy Fortune replacing Jamie Spencer in the saddle. The possibility of heavy showers tempers confidence in Intense Focus, who is a fast-ground lover and Jim Bolger ducked all versions of the Guineas with last year's Dewhurst Stakes winner.

He is a tough animal, though, and if the rain stays away, he has very strong claims.

Evasive, who was a head behind Mastercraftsman at Newmarket, would also appreciate fast ground, while Dewhurst runner-up Lord Shanakill has a bit to prove after a disappointing run in the Guineas.