ASCOT SATURDAY

1.50 DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD ROUS STAKES (LISTED) 5F

The stalls are on the stand side on Ascot’s straight course, which should see little in the way of draw bias, with the likelihood of any of these moving to the far side of the track slim.

The pace is likely to come from Portland Handicap winner A Momentofmadness and possibly last year’s winner Just Glamorous, for all that horse has been out of sorts all year. Plenty of these like to sit close to the pace, and that should set things up nicely for those in need of a sound gallop, with Spring Loaded, who won that Doncaster race last year, making most appeal assuming the rain due on Saturday isn’t too heavy.

If the ground turned soft, then Mr Lupton would come strongly into play, but the selection is effective on an easy surface as well as top of the ground, and while he has a lot of form at six furlongs, he has always found that trip at Ascot the limit of his stamina, flattening out late after threatening in the Wokingham a couple of times, whereas he was very impressive when winning over this course and distance in the summer.

The likely strong pace will suit him admirably and Paul D’Arcy’s classy sprinter looks poised to go very close. Adam Kirby was on board when he won here in July, and D’Arcy has been at pains to ensure he booked the rider well in advance of this contest.

Muthmir has become a little frustrating, but is another impressive winner of the Portland, and he, too, will benefit from the strong pace; he is expected to be making his move at the same time as Spring Loaded, the fact that the pair are berthed in adjoining stalls adding spice to the encounter.

3.35 BET WITH ASCOT CHALLENGE CUP (HERITAGE HANDICAP) 7F

Stall 18 may prove to be a tough one, but it’s hard to let a big seven-furlong handicap at Ascot go without checking whether Ripp Orf is there, and he usually is.

Despite winning the Victoria Cup and Cunard Handicap over track and trip this season, and finishing a fine third in the International Stakes in between, it is a testament to the skills of David Elsworth that the progressive four-year-old, in just his first full season (had three runs for a mark in the autumn of 2016 and missed last year completely), gets into another big handicap over his favoured course and distance with only one horse below him in the handicap.

So, although Ripp Orf must again try to defy the handicapper, he is able to so with more in his favourand less on his back, than rivals with much more to prove.

NEWMARKET SATURDAY

3.15 KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN SUN CHARIOT STAKES (GROUP 1) 1M

Laurens is a hugely likeable filly who won the Fillies’ Mile over course and distance last year and finished second in the 1000 Guineas to again show her liking for this track. Her win in the Matron Stakes was overshadowed by the injury to Alpha Centauri, and even if she wins this, she will always be compared unfavourably to Jessica Harrington’s big grey machine.

That said, it’s not the headlines that owners seek when they buy or breed horses like Laurens, but the glory of top-level success, and John Dance has tasted that heady nectar enough times with his star.

She may win again, and few would begrudge her that success, but the head must rule the head at times, and the head says that Wind Chimes will win if she can continue in the vein that has seen her win the Prix de Lieurey and finish a close second in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp to Recoletos, with the likes of Expert Eye and Lightning Spear in her wake.

That is surely the best form on offer here, and the very fact that André Fabre has had her supplemented for the race is a strong pointer to her chances.

She is reliant on others to set things up for her to some degree, and in that sense Danny Tudhope has a chance of glory by setting perfect fractions in front on Laurens, but the percentage call is to side with Wind Chimes.

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