IRELAND’S CHAMPION jockey Pat Smullen is a late arrival at Royal Ascot 2009 but he can make a major impact on the final day of the festival when he teams up with the David Wachman-trained Bushranger in the Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Johnny Murtagh’s suspension means Smullen comes in for the ride on last year’s Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner who along with Art Connoisseur represents the classic generation against an international field of top older sprinters. They include the Hong Kong champion Sacred Kingdom and JJ The Jet Plane, South Africa’s top sprinter, who impressed in his prep for this afternoon’s Group One at Windsor.

Cannonball flies the American flag for Wes Ward and judged by the way he ran on behind Scenic Blast in Tuesday’s Kings Stand Stakes, Olivier Peslier’s mount should relish this extra furlong.

Throw in more local hopes like last year’s winner Kingsgate Native, and the Greek horse Ialysos, who is now based with Luca Cumani, and Bushranger’s task is not easy. However, there is encouragement in how Kingsgate Native managed to win as a three-year-old last year and the fact that the Irish horse gets to race on quick ground.

It was a very different surface when Bushranger made his first start of the year in the Greenlands at the Curragh last month although he managed only fourth to Utmost Respect.

He was running on well in the closing stages though and there should be significant improvement on that. Interestingly, Wachman puts a first time visor on Bushranger and the three-year-old could represent each-way value in an intriguing contest.

Smullen teams up with Pat Eddery for the ride on Aerodynamic in the opening Chesham Stakes, a Listed race that Aidan O’Brien attacks with both Beethoven and the regally bred Fairyhouse winner Emperor Claudius.

Mark Johnston, however, is triple-handed and Royston French’s mount Shakespearean could be one to note as he could thrive on this ground having won his debut on soft going at Haydock.

Ground conditions should also suit Doctor Fremantle in the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes. Michael Stoute’s runner squeezed home by a short head at Chester on his sole start of 2009 but his best performance came in last year’s Derby when running fourth to New Approach in the Derby.

Topweight Rock Of Rochelle and Michael Halford’s Soap Wars fly the Irish flag in the Wokingham but fans of JJ The Jet Plane will be keeping an eye on Sohraab in this prestigious handicap.

Eddie Ahern’s mount won over five furlongs at Chester before running fourth to the South African star at Windsor and should go well at a decent price.

Ghimaar runs for Pat Smullen and Dermot Weld in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes along with the Tony Martin duo, Siberian Tiger and Pires, where Record Breaker’s proven stamina could be decisive. Amerigo was runner-up in the Queens Vase as a three-year-old so must have a chance of lasting out in the marathon Queen Alexandra Stakes.