5th-May-2012

Mayson is favourite for this, but he is the 5/1 favourite, and he is worth backing at that. He improved significantly as a sprinter at the end of last season, finishing a close-up third behind Move In Time in a listed race at Ascot in October, and then just getting caught close home and going down by a neck to the highly progressive Sirius Prospect in another listed race at Doncaster in November on his final run of the season.

He has resumed that thread this season in two runs to date, finishing third behind the high class pair The Cheka and Jimmy Styles on his debut at Doncaster, and then stepping up markedly on that to win the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket doing handsprings.

It can be difficult for three-year-olds in the sprinting division, so it is no surprise that Mayson is just beginning to find his sprinting feet against his elders now that he has turned four. There is a chance that he is going to be better over six furlongs than over today’s trip, but he doesn’t lack speed, and he would have won the Abernant over any distance. Also, the fact that he handled Newmarket’s Dip well in that race augurs well for today.

Also, his draw in stall two is not ideal, it would have been better if he had been drawn in the middle, and not to one side or the other, or at least if he had been drawn close to his main rival Margot Did, but he is so progressive and he is potentially so classy that that negative is easy to take on board at 5/1. Good to soft ground is perfect, and he should go close.

MAYSON WON (ADV 5/1, SP 7/2)