GUEST LOOKS SO WELCOME AT 18-1
TODAY’S Royal Hunt Cup (5.00) is one of the oldest established handicaps of the season.
It’s a race rich in stats, the most important of which are:
An official rating between 97 and 103 and carrying less than 9st 5lb Aged four or five Not drawn in stalls one or two
Not ridden by a claiming rider
Have already run this season
A previous distance winner
A winner of no more than two handicaps
With a field of 30 runners the effect of the draw could be the most important denominator.
It is hard to know where the bias will be at this stage but, historically, single-figure starting stalls have been at a disadvantage.
The main group will most likely race up the middle and all six of our remaining horses are drawn between 11 and 26.
Von Blucher only ran a fair race on comeback for his new handler and needs a career best today.
El Vip is untried in fields this big, as is GK Chesterton, while Ballet Concerto was at his best at Doncaster in March and may find this ground too lively.
That leaves the Mick Channon-trained BOSSY GUEST as the first choice.
He runs well here, so have 2pts each way at 18-1 with bet365 who bet to five places. Have the same bet about ZHUI FENG at a general 28-1. He frontruns and is ideally drawn.