It is impossible to know whether or not Yeah Man would have won the Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot last month had he not come down at the final fence.

Certainly, at the top of the home straight, it didn’t look likely. He was only seventh or eighth as they straightened up for home, but he stayed on strongly from there. He was just moving into second place, closing on the leader Victtorino on the approach to the final fence and, momentum up, if he had jumped it cleanly, there is every chance that he would have won.

As it happened, he got in tight to the obstacle, clipped the top of it and came down.

On the positive side, in the context of the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot on Saturday, Gavin Cromwell’s horse proved his aptitude for Ascot’s chase track, which can be a tricky track to navigate.

He travelled well for much of the race, towards the rear of the field, and he jumped well in the main. A 2lb hike for that run was not harsh, he did well to get into the race from the rear in a race in which the second and third were both prominent from flagfall, and the third-placed horse Eldorado Allen ran well in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury next time.

Yeah Man has never won over fences, but he won his maiden hurdle at Thurles in February and, on his last run before that big run at Ascot last time, he finished second behind The Abbey in a handicap chase at Down Royal, and The Abbey won next time too off a 9lb higher mark.

That Ascot run was Yeah Man’s first of the season, his first since that run behind The Abbey in May, so there is every chance that he will progress for it.

He is only six and he has run just seven times over fences, so he retains plenty of potential for progression.

He has the potential to be better than the mark of 130 off which he races on Saturday. We know that he goes well at the track, he stays well and the good to soft ground should be ideal.

He meets Victtorino on 4lb better terms compared to the terms on which they met last time, and that gives him a chance of reversing placings.

Blackjack Magic was good in winning the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton last time, but he is short and he is 6lb higher now.

Yeah Man’s stable companion Hascoeur Clermont comes into it, he continues to progress, but Yeah Man’s course experience could be significant.

Tommy Whittle

Bill Baxter could be the answer to the Betfred Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock earlier in the day. Warren Greatrex’s horse was good in winning the Topham Chase at Aintree in April, he stayed on strongly to get the better of Fantastic Lady, with the pair of them clear.

He shaped with lots of encouragement too on his debut this season in the Colin Parker Chase at Carlisle.

He was right there with Thunder Rock and Mahler Mission until the second last fence, where he started to tire. Those two horses are rated 146 and 151 respectively, and Mahler Mission ran a big race off that mark in the Coral Gold Cup last month.

Bill Baxter ran in the Coral Gold Cup too, he wasn’t unfancied, but it was all a bit much for him, up in class and racing on good to soft ground. He should be happier today, back into a 0-145 handicap and racing on softer ground. And that was his first run after a wind operation. He could do better on Saturday with that run under his belt.

A seven-year-old who has raced just eight times over fences, he could be a well-handicapped horse now on a mark of 140, 3lb lower than his Coral Gold Cup mark and 15lb lower now than Mahler Mission, to whom he was conceding weight at Carlisle.

Recommended

1pt win, Bill Baxter, 1.30 Haydock, 13/2 (generally)

1pt win, Yeah Man, 3.00 Ascot, 5/1 (generally)