WHEN Main Fact started his magical ascend through the ratings, we lived in a different world. For one, you could randomly walk into any pub, pull up a seat and order a pint without the need for a ham and cheese toastie. NPHET wasn’t even a thing and Lewis Capaldi’s Before You Go was top of the charts.

Okay, so it’s not that long ago, but it sure feels like it. You could go racing as well. Not that many were on hand at Exeter the day Main Fact finished third on his first start for David Pipe. Since then it’s been wins and wins only, both over hurdles and on the flat. The son of Zenyatta’s famous (or infamous) Breeders’ Cup Classic conqueror Blame bids for a perfect 2020 10 out of 10 today and a remarkable Grade 1 success in the Long Walk Hurdle.

He has a right chance as well because with every drop of rain that falls in Berkshire, the more positive connections can be. Five of the wins in his current streak were achieved on ground officially described as heavy, the other four came on soft. The good to soft ground in Ffos Las for the Welsh Champion Hurdle was deemed too quick for him as he was a non runner there and at Haydock last time, he seemed like he was only getting going on the run in – like a sprinter jumping in at the end of a marathon.

By winning that Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle, he is bidding to emulate both Sam Spinner and Paisley Park today, who both won at Haydock before registering their first Grade 1 wins in this contest.

To do so, he must beat Emma Lavelle’s former champion, who ran with huge credit on his first run back from his disappointing bid to defend his Stayers’ Hurdle title at Cheltenham last season. Conceding 3lbs to the up-and-coming Thyme Hill in the Long Distance Hurdle, Paisley Park was a closing-in second at Newbury, very much looking more like the horse we’ve admired over the last two seasons.

There is no doubt the Philip Hobbs-trained Thyme Hill is a coming force. Perhaps an unlucky fourth in last season’s Albert Bartlett at the Festival, a race in which the form looks hot, he has vindicated his connections’ decision to enter into this often deprived division.

If he were to fight out the finish with Paisley Park today, it could do wonders for the general outlook of the season as we’d have a serious rivalry to talk about. Add in the mare Roksana, so impressive at Wetherby, and unexposed at this trip, and today’s contest looks 10 times better than the renewal 12 months ago.

That was when Paisley Park was an 11th hour absentee due to heavy going, so don’t rule that out happening again. But whatever the case, don’t rule out Main Fact just doing what he does, win. Connections have admirably allowed 18-year-old Fergus Gillard to keep the ride, and though there will be fewer people at Ascot today than there was for Main Fact’s first win at Warwick all the way back in January, he could still write one of the stories of the year.

MICK Winters is enjoying a great spell on the track and in points and after his Cheltenham success last week, the mares’ listed hurdle on tomorrow’s Thurles card sees the Trevor Hemmings-owned mare Sayce Gold bid for four in a row. Her latest outing was a Grade 3 Cork success and she has amassed her three wins by a total of 21 lengths.

The race is actually of a higher quality that a regular listed contest with Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead sending two live candidates.

Kapgard had last weekend’s Cheltenham winner Make Good back in second when she won in Wexford in October.

The Mullins mare Gauloise was a hugely impressive winner here at the end of November on her Irish debut and will prove stern opposition as she looks another exciting addition to the Kenny Alexander team of mares.

Mick will have to do his ‘mud’ rolling at home this time if his mare makes it four wins.

Heavy ground and a Venetia Williams stayer are also nearly as reliable as the Dubs and Robbie Dunne teams up again with top-weight Roll Again.

Robbie Power rides here for just two rides instead of the main meeting at Ascot partnering Highest Sun for the Tizzards.

There are two ‘wayward’ horses to keep an eye on today as Tegerek is due to run in the opener at Haydock. The Jonjo O’Neill runner refused to go to the start at Cheltenham last week.

Not So Sleepy returns to Ascot where he had his big win this day last year in the Betfair Exchange Trophy and hopefully there will be no repeat of his Newcastle antics when he slammed on the brakes at the first hurdle in the Fighting Fifth, dumping Paddy Brennan.