Jamie Spencer: I can’t work out why he isn’t favourite
Major Jumbo
He has basically stepped forward on every start this season, never running a bad race and putting up his best effort yet when third in the Wokingham last time. He travelled really strongly into the race there, and clearly dropping down to his usual trip of 5f won’t be any problem whatsoever. You can’t argue with him going up 2lb for the Ascot run either, but he will need another personal best off a career-high mark of 103 here. It’s possible given the form he is in, but ideally he could do with a shower of rain. We can let it rip here over this stiff 5f.
Lord Glitters
He is another who wouldn’t mind some rain. The Queen Anne may have been a puzzling race in some respects to some – and, while Beat The Bank certainly didn’t get the run of the race in sixth, I think it would be wrong to call him unlucky as he simply didn’t have the tactical pace at the right moments – but it confirmed that Lord Glitters loves this place and he put up a career-best for me in chasing home Accidental Agent. I can’t work out why he isn’t the clear favourite after that run, actually. Whether or not this smaller field will play to his strengths – he is best using his cruising speed and turn of foot off a strong pace– we will see, but Zhui Feng, Arod and Eminent like to go forward and go a gallop, and that will really suit my horse if they do. He should be favourite.
Bubbelah
He had been going quite well at home before his Doncaster debut, but he didn’t like the testing conditions and ran below expectations in the soft ground. Hopefully, you will see a different proposition here on this quicker surface from this Zoffany half-brother to the smart 7f winner Fennaan. He is better than at Doncaster.
Britannic
He looked a very promising colt when winning his first two starts and, while he hasn’t really kicked on from there, he has run some good races in defeat and is a smart performer on his day. He is also getting to be a well-handicapped one now too, and returned to form when third at Windsor last time, after which he was dropped another 1lb. He finished last on his only attempt at this trip to date, but that came on soft in a Listed race, so I wouldn’t judge his stamina on that run. His two recent runs will have hopefully taken the freshness out of him – getting him to shut down and relax is the key to him – and he is bred to see out the trip.
Warsaw Road
I think you can ignore his run in a tactical four-runner race at Newmarket last time, where he was disappointing. The handicapper has. He is much better judged on his progressive form prior to that, rounding off last season with a couple of wins and then returning with a good fourth at Kempton in April. A strongly-run 7f on fast ground should suit him, and hopefully he can bounce back to form. He has won three times on a straight track, and the expected quick ground is ideal for him.
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