Andrew Asquith provides the tips from around the tracks on Saturday with the Nap running at Stratford.
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Harry Derham is one of the hottest National Hunt trainers around in Britain at present and ANY BISCUITS looks very interesting on his return from a year and a half off the track.
He didn’t show much on his first two starts for the yard having been purchased from Ireland, but he got his act together upped to this sort of trip when opening his account at Market Rasen in March last year, comfortably beating a couple of next-time-out winners.
Any Biscuits jumped better than he had previously when following up at Exeter a month later and, though he only prevailed by a neck that fay, the runner-up has won four times since and has a BHA mark of 123, while the third has won three times since and is rated 106.
That makes Any Biscuits look very well handicapped from a mark of 99 and, representing a yard that can get them ready after an absence, it’s hard to think he won’t be ready to go and he almost certainly has more to offer.
There is a maximum field for this year’s renewal of the Champions Sprint Stakes which has an open look to it, but everything appears to have fallen into place for the William Haggas-trained MONTASSIB.
He has proved better than ever on his last two starts, beating Kinross in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle and a host of reopposing rivals in a good-ground Sprint Cup at Haydock last time.
Montassib came through with his customary late burst to get on top of Kind of Blue in the final furlong on that occasion and was always holding that rival once in front. The ground is set to be much more testing at Ascot, which will play to his strengths, while the stiffer nature of this track will also suit as he is a horse who stays further.
Montassib has been a revelation since being transformed into a sprinter and being held up in a big field on a straight course is the perfect scenario for him and regular rider Cieren Fallon.
THREE DONS has been one of the success stories of this season, winning six of his last nine starts on turf, and he showed when winning back-to-back handicaps over a mile and a half at Ffos Las in August he handles heavy ground particularly well.
He also ran another career-best effort in defeat when runner-up over a mile and three quarters at Haydock last time, beaten only by an unexposed three-year-old who showed much improved form on his handicap debut, but Three Dons pulled comfortably clear of the remainder.
The handicapper has raised Three Dons just 2lb for that effort, which may prove to be a little lenient, particularly as he is thriving and the return to a mile and a half should suit well. Furthermore, Molly Gunn has been on board for all six of his victories, so they clearly have an excellent rapport together.
HITCHED won a division of this race 12 months ago from a 1lb higher mark and he has to be of interest returned to this venue for the first time since with that in mind.
He hasn’t been at his best so far this year, but he turned in his best effort of the season when finishing midfield over a mile at Lingfield last time, shaping much better than the distance beaten suggests.
Hitched was steadied and dropped in at the start from a wide draw, and had to make headway out wide under three furlongs out before being forced wider still when entering the straight. He had nothing more left to give on the run-in, but he is capable of better and may be worth chancing from this mark back over this course and distance.
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