Only the four renewals of this race so far but no winning favourites and no trainer doubling up just yet so not a lot for us to go on statistically at least. As we regularly mention, Hugo Palmer is having a fabulous season and he has entered Walpole (4/1) here as the four-year-old son of Rock Of Gibraltar looks to win his fifth race on only his sixth start with a third to Forever Popular at York the only blemish on his record. He has an unusual race record with a National Hunt Flat race first time out followed by a Wolverhampton maiden, a Class Four handicap at Windsor, and most recently another Class Four at Thirsk so this is clearly a step up in class, but he has only been put up five pounds for that and looks pretty well handicapped this afternoon if he can keep on improving and is well worth a bet at the prices today.
Ralph Beckett has decided to rely on Great Glen (9/1) today instead of Argus and we see that as a hint that the four-year-old has some kind of a chance. After winning on his return to action at Lingfield to take his maiden at the fifth attempt he ran fourth at Ascot when looking one paced over a mile and a half and may lap up the extra furlong. He also brings placed form behind Storm The Stars from May last season and the winner was fourth in the Group One St leger so has to have an each way chance this afternoon.
With the Sir Michael Stoute in good heart and showing a strike rate of 31% as we write, it would be folly to leave Yarrow (12/1) out of any race preview even though he ran below expectations when only seventh to California last time out, though to be fair that was in the Group Three Lillie Langtrey Stakes at Goodwood last month. Although he was never going to win he was eased once failing to get a clear run when needed and may not have finished last though we still don’t know for sure if he gets this sort of trip and his supporters will have to take his stamina in trust and rely on Ted Durcan to ride him positively when needed.
Looking at the betting and Real Dominion (9/2) seems pretty popular for the Andrew Balding stable though he looks to have a bit to find to us. A well beaten third to Danehill Kodiac at Ascot last time and left on the same rating of 91 here, he does have Jimmy Quinn on board who is as good as it gets among the lightweights and he should run a big race off just eight stone four.
To round things off, ex footballer Mick Quinn has an interesting runner here in Great Hall (22/1) whose last win was in a maiden hurdle at Huntingdon in October last year. He was fourth at Newmarket on his first run on the flat in close to a year and clearly needs to find a lot more now but he isn’t badly weighted at his very best and could yet end up as the surprise package here.