Flow along with Danzig

The Barry Hills-trained Fun To Ride is another who looks set to be in at the finish after her fine effort at Chester, but from a value point of view it might just pay to side with her stablemate, Danzig River.

Admittedly, this well-related Green Desert colt failed to produce anything like his best form in a big handicap at Newmarket on his most recent start, but he pulled much too hard there and ran out of gas once the race began in earnest.

All in all, it seems safe to forgive him that performance, especially as his earlier form looks very solid indeed.

A combination of fast ground and a drop to six furlongs provided the key to Danzig River in 2003, when his two wins from six starts included an impressive defeat of the useful Free Trip in a valuable nursery at Newmarket in October.

The Newmarket performance marked him out as just the sort to go close in a valuable handicap this season, and that's exactly what he did in a big field back at Newmarket in April.

With an inexperienced 7lb claimer booked for the ride, Danzig River was sent off among the 20-1 shots that day, but no-one had told him that he wasn't fancied.

Indeed, he looked all over the winner as he quickened to take command just over a furlong out, but his young rider couldn't quite match the strength of Jimmy Quinn close home and he was collared right on the line by Saristar.

Danzig River looked a million dollars in the paddock that day and the form has been given a solid look by several of the horses who chased the principals home.

Clearly, confidence is slightly tempered by that subsequent defeat, but it usually pays to forgive a horse one poor run if his overall profile warrants it.

Danzig River has certainly been progressive overall. He's nicely drawn in the centre and, in a race which could boil down to heads and necks, he looks well worth a little eachway at 16-1 or thereabouts.