3.00pm Ascot

Step Back

It was good to see him back winning last season, scoring twice before running a creditable sixth for me in a Cross Country race last December. We haven’t seen him since but he has a good record when fresh and a mark of 145 is fair if he returns to the form of his Sandown win last term. He is an 11yo now but the trip is fine, as is the drying ground, and hopefully we can get into a good racing rhythm on or near the front end and go from there. I hear he is in good order.

3.35pm Ascot

No Ordinary Joe

He was thrown in at the deep end to some degree in the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle last time, after wins at short prices in novice hurdles at Stratford and Worcester, so we had to be delighted with his third there. You can probably mark up that performance a touch given that he was probably a bit too keen for his own good as well, and obviously we are hopeful there is more to come from him after just four hurdle starts to date.