DAVID Probert was yesterday due to ride the 2,000 Guineas runner-up Tip Two Win in the St James’s Palace Stakes, the top mile contest for three-year-olds at Royal Ascot and one of the most important races of its type in the whole season.

His mount finished ahead of the Derby winner Masar that day.

It’s a far cry from Probert’s schooldays at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, near Bargoed, his place of birth.

He competed in gymkhanas and pony races before enrolling at the British Racing School at Newmarket.

He made the grade, but initially he struggled after having a solitary ride in 2006. He had 46 in 2007, but had to wait till 3 December of that year for his sole winner – Mountain Pass, appropriately trained a few miles from home by Bernard Llewellyn.

A further three months passed before his next victory, but that broke the ice and with the aid of a job at the Andrew Balding stable – one of the best yards in the country for nurturing young jockeys – winners started to flow.

He finished 2008 with 50 first places from 458 rides, sharing the apprentices’ championship with William Buick.

Since then a steady stream of winners have come, not just from the Baldings but also from among the 350 other trainers who have engaged him at one time or another.

Probert has tasted success at the royal meeting before, on Born In Bombay in the Britannia Stakes of 2014. He has another good chance in that race this year, which is run at 5.00 on Thursday. He partners the 8/1 favourite Crack On Crack On for Clive Cox. He was on board when this colt made it 2-2 this year at Haydock and keeps the ride.

Probert told the Racing Post: "He goes there in good order off a very good mark.

"It's a very competitive handicap but he looks to be weighted well and he'll get a strong gallop, which means he can settle early on."

He’s got other mounts at Ascot this week, one of which is Dancing Star in the Wokingham on Saturday. He enjoyed a great year on this horse in 2016, winning four races including the Stewards Cup at Goodwood. The horse has found it hard since then, having to compete in higher class races, but the handicapper has shown some leniency at last and Dancing Star showed some zip on Sunday at Salisbury. If he makes the cut for the Wokingham he could be worth a small each way interest.

Probert has four rides at Chelmsford this evening, but first he is reunited with Country Rose for Ron Harris in the Queen Mary at 2.30.

She ran well on her debut at Chepstow when beaten a neck at 20/1. Other jockeys rode her when she ran second at Bath and led all the way at Lingfield. That form doesn’t look good enough for Ascot, but seeing as she cost only 7,500 euros as a yearling, there’s no harm in trying.

Back at his home track, Chepstow, last Friday, Probert was involved in one of the closest finishes of the evening when he drove Wahaab into the lead in the very last stride to win by a nose. There’s more racing there on Monday afternoon. Advance bookers can 'buy one, get one free', so that two people can gain admission for a total of £18.