Dubai Millennium can take today's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the feature contest at the Ascot Festival.

Put simply, it is hard to construct a case by which to oppose him.

The son of Seeking The Gold has class in abundance, acts well in quagmire-like conditions, and has the assistance of Frankie Dettori in the saddle.

Having left a trio of entries in at the five-day stage Godolphin run only Dubai Millennium, further suggesting that the Dubai-based operation keenly expects a fifteenth European Group 1 success this season.

There are no stamina worries over Dubai Millen- nium, who started favourite for the Vodafone Derby, but has subsequently proven that trips shorter than a mile-and-a-half are his optimum.

He was only ninth behind Oath at Epsom, but has won both his races across the Channel since - the Prix Eugene Adam over 10

furlongs and the one-mile Prix Jacques Le Marois in bottomless conditions.

The Paul Cole-trained Courteous has won the Grand Prix de Deauville on his only start this season and, fresher than some of his rivals, can take all

the beating in the Johns Hopkins Cumberland Lodge Stakes.

Teggiano was an easy winner of the competitive Rothmans Royals May Hill Stakes at Doncaster and looks capable of making the step up to Group 1 com-pany in the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile.

The Tote Scoop6 Stakes can fall to Great News, whose trainer Ian Balding landed another valuable handicap, the Ladbroke Ayr Gold Cup last weekend.

On the day of that race, Great News was a fair third to Tayseer and Bomb Alaska, appearing to find the one-mile trip just beyond him in the rain-softened ground.

Now, dropped back to seven furlongs and with Adrian Nicholls (jockey who rode Great News to victory in the Victoria Cup over course and distance earlier this year) back in the saddle, he must go close off a featherweight.

At Haydock, Penang Pearl can take the EBF Reprocolor Fillies' Handicap, while Canny Chiftane, who scored in clear-cut style at Wolverhampton on Saturday, can step up in grade to take the Akzo Nobel Premier Handicap.

Meanwhile, Alex Stewart can gain a repeat victory in the Mail On Sunday Millennium Mile final at Ascot tomorrow.

His Casimir is shaping into a smart handicapper and looks primed to go close in this #50,000-added contest

Chelsea Barracks looks the one to be on in the ''Showcase'' Ritz Club Stakes.

Given plenty of time to learn his job by John

Dunlop, the three-year-old is improving fast and is almost certainly still ahead of the handicapper.

Last time out, at Ripon, he dead-heated with Flossy, who has since

bolted up at Haydock off

a 9lb higher mark.

Chelsea Barracks himself is only 4lb higher in the weights today - which speaks for itself.