THERE was not much between Ask Brewster and Road To Home in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, and there may not be much between them again in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown today.

Just a neck separated the duo at Cheltenham in the end, and Ask Brewster is 7lb higher than he was then, whereas Road To Home is 6lb higher. If 1lb equates to one length - it doesn’t - then Road To Home should beat Ask Brewster by three-parts of a length today. He probably won’t.

You can argue the case for both. Road To Home was racing over fences for just the fifth time at Cheltenham, he has the greater scope for progression. But Ask Brewster was game in victory at Cheltenham, he got in tight to the final fence, he was probably joined by the runner-up on the run-in, and he showed a really willing attitude in forging on close home to win by that neck. He probably had more in reserve than that.

Sandown should suit the Williams’ horse, but he was well beaten in the London Gold Cup in December over today’s course and distance. That was on softer ground, he should appreciate the return to good ground today, but that worry about the track is still in the back of your mind.

Montregard may beat them both anyway.

Tom Lacey’s horse was pulled up twice last season and once this season, but recent indications are that he is starting to put it all together now.

The Joshua Tree gelding finished second to subsequent Reynoldstown Chase winner in a good handicap chase at Ascot in January, when he had In D’Or three and a half lengths behind him, and last week’s Scottish Grand National winner Kap Vert another four lengths back in fourth.

Raised by 6lb for that run, he went back to Ascot in February and ran out an impressive winner of a premier handicap chase.

The handicapper raised him by another 4lb for that win, but that was not harsh. He jumped to the front over the second last fence that day, and he kept on well from there to see off the challenges from Gericault Roque and Your Darling.

He left the impression that he had at least a little in hand, that he was only doing as much as he needed to do. Also, Your Darling came out next time at Ludlow and won another handicap chase by 14 lengths off the same mark. He is now rated 6lb higher than he was then.

There is a chance that Montregard is better at Ascot than he is anywhere else, the best three runs of his career have all been at Ascot. But he has never run at Sandown, which is obviously also right-handed, so hopefully he will be able to continue his progression now away from Ascot.

A half-brother to Protektorat, J.P. McManus’ horse goes well on good ground and he is only seven, he retains the potential to go beyond the handicap mark of 132 off which he races today.

Novices’ Final

Earlier in the day, Koktail Bleu looks over-priced in the Bet365 Novices’ Championship Final.

Chris Gordon’s horse is not as unexposed as Minella Yoga or Way Of Stars or even as his stable companion Cosmic Connection, but he goes into the race in good form and on an upward trajectory, and it may be that the market has under-rated his chance in favour of some more unexposed rivals.

The Magneticjim gelding has been nicely progressive this spring. He ran a big race in the Grade 2 Dovecote Hurdle at Kempton in February to finish second to Klub De Reve, when he had subsequent Fred Winter Hurdle favourite Mustang Du Breuil just behind him in third place.

Prominent from early that day, he moved to the front on the run out of the back straight, and, while he had no answer to the winner’s turn of foot, he stuck to his task well to retain the runner-up spot.

He was good last time too at Newbury.

He made all the running and he won nicely. He stumbled on landing over the fourth flight, he actually jumped the obstacle well and just seemed to stumble a stride afterwards. He did well to remain upright there, and Freddie Gordon did well to remain on board.

Lisbane Park and Gambino challenged him late on, and the latter in particular appeared to be travelling better at the second last flight, but Koktail Bleu was going away at the end, he left the impression that he had plenty left to give.

He can jump to his right, so the move to a right-handed track is a positive, and a mark of 125 is more than fair for his first handicap. He goes well on good ground too.

There is a concern that if there is lots of pace on in the race, that he might get into an early battle for the lead, but he doesn’t have to lead, he can sit just behind the pace, and that concern is more than factored into his odds.

Recommended:

Koktail Bleu, 1.45 Sandown, 10/1 (generally), 1 point each-way

Montregard, 3.30 Sandown, 9/2 (generally), 1 point win