Ascot will not seem quite the same without Persian Punch. Quite the most popular flat racehorse of recent years, the 11-year-old collapsed and died at Ascot at the end of April.

A lasting memory of the chestnut gelding is the portrait of Jeff Smith's great stayer which goes on show at the Osborne Studio Gallery in London next Tuesday for three weeks.

The painting is by Sussex artist Sarah Aspinall, who is one of several equestrian artists whose work is featured in Impressions Of The Turf 2004 at the gallery in Motcomb Street.

Sarah lives in Jevington, near Polegate and says: "When I'm not working in my studio, I love to ride on the Downs on my 14-year-old hunter, Fantastica del Uccelaia."

Sarah, a youthful 40, was at Eastbourne High School and went on to Brighton Polytechnic. Finally, she studied at St Martins Central School of Art in London, where she gained degrees in Fine Art and Illustration.

"In 1990 I went to Rome where I learned the skills of restoring Old Masters. It's a complicated process but has helped in my own works since I came back to the UK.

"Persian Punch took me three weeks to complete, but I had taken scores of photographs at the races, in the pre-parade ring and so on."

My personal opinion is that Sarah has only Susan Crawford as a rival among contemporary equine painters. Don't miss the exhibition, but don't bank on buying Persian Punch. He will be sold the moment the doors open!

Royal Ascot opens on Tuesday and the dual successes of Australian sprinter Choisir last year has encouraged trainers from abroad to try their luck.

Not least among them is David Oughton, who has brought Cape Of Good Hope and Bowmans Crossing from Hong Kong.

David is Sussex born and bred and he and his wife Jane went to try their luck in Hong Kong some 15 years ago.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club was instrumental in organising travel arrangements for Oughton's horses, who arrived at Amanda Perrett's Pulborough stables last Thursday.

He said: "I'm grateful to Amanda for stabling the horses. It's only minutes from our home to Pulborough."

Cape Of Good Hope will run in the Kings Stand Stakes on Tuesday. He is the second best sprinter in Hong Kong, having finished runner-up on three occasions to unbeaten Silent Witness.

John Dunlop hopes to have nine runners at Royal Ascot.

On Tuesday, Teresa is in the Ascot Stakes, Iktisaab goes for the Jersey Stakes on Wednesday and Millenary is in Thursday's Gold Cup.

Also on Thursday, Rave Reviews is in the Ribblesdale and Swagger Stick in the George V Handicap and Lutahaya in the Hampton Court Stakes.

On Friday, Persian Lightning and Maganim are both entered and, if all goes well, Chancellor will run on the Saturday.