Donn McClean

JUST the 29 runners in the Victoria Cup then, and don’t you miss those handicap hurdles with only 21 runners already?

That’s the thing about Ascot’s straight course, when they widen it out from the jumps course to the grandstand, they can fit 29 horses on it, and that makes it difficult. There can only be one winner after all.

You can make cases for plenty, of course. Like Predominance, favourite, progressive, nice racing weight, just 6lb higher than he was when he won at Haydock last time and the potential to go a fair way beyond his mark of 96.

And Outback Traveller, who didn’t have much luck in-running on his seasonal debut at Haydock last time, his first run for Robert Cowell. He gets to race today off a mark of 102, 5lb lower than his peak, and he is a winner over today’s course and distance, which is a significant asset on Ascot’s straight track.

And Fort Bastion, who ran a cracker in the Thirsk Hunt Cup on his debut this season, and Hold Tight one of your quintessential ‘could-be-anything’ horses, a thrice-raced Godolphin gelding whose mark of 96 could under-estimate his potential quite considerably.

All into the mix, however, and the value of the race may be the 12/1 that is available about Grand Inquisitor. Unraced as a juvenile, Sir Michael Stoute’s horse won his maiden at Nottingham last May on just his second run, and he followed up by landing a good seven-furlong handicap at Sandown in June, staying on well to get the better of My Dream Boat.

The runner-up added ballast to that form, winning three of his next five races last season. Then he won the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes on his debut this season, and he is now rated 117, 33lb higher than he was when Grand Inquisitor beat him.

Of course, My Dream Boat has improved dramatically since then, but Grand Inquisitor is also progressive. He ran a fine race to finish fifth behind Portage in a good handicap at Ascot on his next run, doing well to get as close as he did from the rear in a race that the prominent racers dominated. Also, the ground would have been softer than ideal for him that day, and a mile probably stretched him, but at least it proved that he could operate at Ascot.

The Dansili colt shaped encouragingly on his debut this season at Newmarket’s Craven meeting. Weak enough in the market, he travelled well through his race, but he had to switch twice when rider Ryan Moore wanted to go forward, and by the time he got into the clear, the leaders had flown.

He should be better today with that run under his belt. He remains progressive, he retains the potential to go beyond his handicap rating of 96, and he gets to race today off a nice racing weight of 8st 12lb in a race in which the low-weights do well. Eight of the last nine winners carried less than 9st.

We know that he goes well at Ascot, a stiff seven furlongs is probably his optimum, good or fast ground is ideal for him and Sir Michael Stoute’s horses continue in fine form.

The draw is not hugely important in this race historically, but 19 is good, middle to near side. It means that Ted Durcan can go where he wants, he can follow the pace.

SWINTON HURDLE

The Swinton Hurdle at Haydock looks a little more manageable - just the 17 runners - and Wait For Me could be the answer.

Third in last year’s Cheltenham Bumper, Philip Hobbs’ horse has been a progressive novice hurdler this season. Beaten only by Buveur D’Air on his hurdling bow, he won his next two and went to Cheltenham on the back of those two wins, where he finished fourth in the County Hurdle.

He didn’t have the run of the race that day. He was towards the rear in a race in which the prominent racers were probably advantaged - six of the first seven home raced in mid-division or better from flagfall, he was the only one who got into it from the rear - and he was wider than ideal throughout.

He wasn’t helped by the fact that they by-passed the final flight. All in all, he did well to finish fourth, beaten just a head for third by Sternrubin.

He should have improved for that experience, and he gets to compete today off the same handicap rating of 139. We know that he goes on good ground, and he has twice run well at Newbury, so we know that he goes well on a flat left-handed track.

Philip Hobbs has left Cheltenian and War Sound in at the top of the weights, but Richard Johnson, unsurprisingly, rides Wait For Me.

Ch’Tibello is a worthy favourite, a 6lb hike for his Scottish Champion Hurdle win was not harsh, but Wait For Me should probably be closer to him in the betting than he is, and he is worth backing at 7/1.

RECOMMENDED

GRAND INQUISITOR, 12/1 (generally) 1 point each-way

WAIT FOR ME, 7/1 (generally) 1 point-each-way