16th-Apr-2011

Verdant is obviously the one to beat here, he is a relatively lightly-raced four-year-old, the type with which Michael Stoute does particularly well, and Stoute has won two of the last four renewals of this race with Maraahel and Harbinger. However, Verdant is no Maraahel or Harbinger, that’s for sure, not yet anyway, he was all out to win a handicap at Goodwood on his latest run last July, and he will have to step up a lot on what he has achieved to date to win this. Of course, he may well do that, but Harbinger was a 6/1 shot when he won this race last year, and it is easy to take Verdant on at no better than 13/8 … It is going to be difficult for (Indian Days), conceding 5lb and more to his rivals, but he can front-run, and almost all his rivals, with the possible exception of Bridge Of Gold, who usually races just behind the pace, like to be held up. He will love the ground, and he is another who can go well fresh. He had high-class handicap form early last season before he went travelling the world in the autumn, beating the useful Sri Putra in the Group 2 Bosphorous Cup in Turkey in September. He likes fast ground, and James Given’s horses are in good form, with three winners in the last week. (Indian Days) is worth backing at 8/1.

INDIAN DAYS WON (ADV 8/1, SP 7/1)