14:10 Wednesday

Stay Away Fay – Brown Advisory

If you could build the perfect racehorse, it’d have the attitude of STAY AWAY FAY. This horse always gives his all, he runs his race and he stays longer than the in-laws. In my view, he has the form in the book and he’s the one I am siding with in the Brown Advisory.

I was really taken with his run in the Cotswold Chase – he was outpaced before building momentum once again to finish just three lengths adrift of Capodanno. That was on a fast enough surface and the winner is a proper Grade 1 horse. For me, it was a super run against open company horses.

The Willie Mullins camp believe that Fact To File could be a future Gold Cup horse but there are plenty of reasons to take him on. He’s yet to be given a proper test and I’m not willing to trust him off the back of a good time performance alone.

14:50 Wednesday

Jigoro – Coral Cup

JIGORO has form behind the likes of Mystical Power (2nd in the Supreme on Tuesday) and Tullyhill and I’d say he could be better than his UK mark of 141. Gordon Elliott is one of the best in the business at targeting these big spring handicaps.

He was given a tentative ride at Punchestown the last day and I’m hoping to see Jack Kennedy looking confident, swinging in full of horse around the bend. It’s the Coral Cup so anything can happen but he has greater upside than many in the field.

The soft ground will be in his favour and any additional rain won’t hinder his chances on Wednesday afternoon. I’d say he is well worth an each way play and hopefully he can get his nose in front.

16:50 Wednesday

Sa Fureur – Grand Annual

I’ve had my eye on SA FUREUR for a Festival handicap for a while and I must admit, I was happy to see Gordon Elliott declare him for the Grand Annual rather than the Plate. I’m adamant that a strongly run two miles will see him to best effect and he has some nice form in the book and runs off a workable BHA mark of 145.

He’s improved for a fence and I’m pretty sure he’ll win a big race over fences – and this could be that race. He’s probably not quite up to Grade 1 standard right now but this isn’t the strongest Grand Annual of all-time. I’d imagine Jack Kennedy will want to be prominent enough so he can strike rounding the home turn.

I’d like to give a token mention to PATH D’OROUX here. He is 4lbs better off with Dublin Racing Festival conqueror Madara and he has his chance. The BHA handicapper was fairly harsh on Gavin Cromwell’s horses this year but he fits the profile for this race.