Tomorrow's Ayr Gold Cup looks far too difficult for this observer and there are easier races than Newmarket's Cesarewitch Trial at 3.40 but for some unfathomable reason the race just makes more appeal.
Course and distance winner Cosimo De Medici will be one of the more fancied runners after a victory on the all-weather at Southwell last time; he has been raised a harsh-looking 10 pounds for that effort.
The 18 furlong trip is likely to find out a few of these including Burnham and possibly Nanton (ninth last year), Saborido (thirteenth) and Body Language (last). Eagle Rock was fourth in that race twelve months ago and comes to this on the back of a victory at York; he has to race off a five pounds higher mark.
Mark Johnson saddles the first two in the handicap - his Courtesy Call came home second last year - but the biggest weight carried to victory in the four previous renewals is just 8-13; in the same timeframe the winner has come from the top four in the market.
Eagle Rock has the right profile but I've been on the lookout for a lightweight at an each-way price that should stay the trip - Ian Williams' Teak fits the bill.
This one has been kept busy over the summer and has a few miles on the clock but third behind Kangaroo Court in a Newton Abbott hurdle on his penultimate start reads well enough. Cheekpieces were tried on his last run but connections obviously felt they didn't help as they're omitted tomorrow.
Rated 111 over hurdles, Teak goes off a mark of 75 and appeals as a sporting each-way chance to run into a place - this evening most layers are offering 16/1, a quarter the odds four places.
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An impressive display from Mark Johnson's top weight Oriental Fox (9/1) who held the selection 's stablemate Body Language (16/1) three and a quarter lengths at the line.
Teak (16/1) lost his racing position half a mile from home and could do no better than finish ninth.
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