Course will test Whisky Baron

WHISKY BARON is a 12-1 chance with most British bookmakers for his UK debut in the Shadwell Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

Favourite for the mile Group Two at 5-2 is the Andrew Balding-trained three-year-old Beat The Bank (Oisin Murphy) who has won four of his last five.

The all-conquering Aidan O’Brien has six of the 15 still in the race but the situation will become clearer, and smaller, after this morning’s declaration stage.

Beat The Bank

The Sun Met winner has no official British rating but he is on a mark of 122 with the Racing Post and this puts him 4lb below the best in the race – Beat The Bank and Zonderland who is trained by Clive Cox and will be ridden by Adam Kirby.

Whisky Baron will have to contend with the famous dip as well as a daunting straight mile for the first time but a bigger imponderable could be the going.

Newmarket

When Greg Cheyne rode Whisky Baron in a gallop at Newmarket nine days ago he reported that the horse could not quicken in the soft ground.

However there was good news on that front yesterday as the official going description was changed from good to good-to-firm although there are showers forecast.

British good to firm is roughly the equivalent of good ground here.