Falbrav's turn to shine

With hindsight, we shouldn't have been surprised by the bold decision.

Granted, every one of Falbrav's 18 races has been over further than a mile, but no-one who has seen him perform at the top level this season could fail to be impressed by the way he travels through his races. And the great thing about Falbrav is that he can show a killer turn of foot off a strong pace.

The Eclipse at Sandown and the International Stakes at York were both captured courtesy of that turn of foot, and at Leopardstown three weeks ago he went down by just a neck to High Chaparral in the Irish Champion Stakes after Darryll Holland asked him to make a wildly optimistic run up the inner

Make no mistake, Falbrav was the moral winner in what was the best race run in Europe this season. He's been working "like a Ferrari" since according to his rider and, provided Holland plays the Michael Schumacher role more wisely this time, he looks bound to be hard to beat. The BBC's everexpanding racing team will be on double time tomorrow, with a total of eight live races from Ascot and Haydock.

Lydia Hislop will be joining Clare Balding to double the Standard Sport's on-screen representation, and two horses who look sure to come under the spotlight are Airwave and Necklace.

Airwave has run a series of fine races against the very best sprinters this season, but she could prove vulnerable under a penalty and the John Hammondtrained Ratio appeals as a good value alternative in the Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Diadem Stakes.

The Chantillybasedtrainer has an excellent strike-rate with his Ascot challengers, having won this race 12 months ago with Crystal Castle, who may also line-up tomorrow.

Ratio will have the assistance of Kieren Fallon and looks set to go very close after producing a powerful late charge in a Group 3 contest at Newbury last weekend.

Aidan O'Brien has been picking up big prizes in relentless fashion recently, so plenty of punters will look no further than Necklace in the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile.

For once, it may not pay to join them. Granted, Necklace had several of this field behind her when winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, but several of her new rivals here have potential.

Hathrah is progressing fast, while Sundrop and Tarot Card are once-raced winners who should improve considerably. Red Bloom is even more interesting after beating two subsequent winners decisively at Newmarket, but Punctilious is the selection to take this step up in class in her stride.

An easy debut win at Yarmouth represented a promising start to this Danehill filly's career, while an all-the-way defeat of Fantastic Love at Salisbury now looks very strong form after the runner-up won a Goodwood Listed race.

Anyone with access to attheraces channel 418 will be able to follow the best of British with some exceptional American action this weekend as the Breeders' Cup countdown continues.

The odds will be very skinny, but Mineshaft is impossible to oppose as he bids to confirm his position as favourite for the Classic against Godolphin's Moon Ballad in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont tomorrow night.

Godolphin have much higher hopes of another big win from Sulamani in the Turf Classic at Belmont.