Donn McClean

ONE of the most difficult things about this afternoon’s Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle at Ascot will be calling it the Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle and not the Ladbroke. Maybe not as difficult as finding the winner but there’s not much in it. Just like it will be difficult not to call the Hennessy the Hennessy for a while.

We might have to call that one the Ladbroke. Strange old world this.

Sternrubin does not have the fashionable profile that some of his rivals at the top of the market have but he could be over-priced as a result at 16/1. Philip Hobbs’ horse has plenty in his favour.

For starters, he won this race last year, or he shared the spoils with Jolly’s Cracked It. Of course, he is higher in the handicap today than he was 12 months ago, he is 10lb higher, but he has earned his heightened rating. Well beaten in the Betfair Hurdle on his next run after last year’s renewal, he bounced out of that to run a cracker in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham, finishing third behind Superb Story off a mark of 142.

He returned to Ascot for his debut this season, and duly made all to win a competitive handicap hurdle off that mark of 142, just 2lb lower than today’s mark, when he had Modus and Ch’Tibello behind him in third and fifth places respectively.

Both of those horses have enhanced the form of that race since. Modus finished second in the Greatwood Hurdle on his next run off a 1lb higher mark, beaten just a half a length by North Hill Harvey, while Ch’Tibello won a Class 2 hurdle at Haydock next time, beating My Tent Or Yours and Melodic Rendezvous and Old Guard.

Sternrubin likes to jump and run and, in that regard, it is not ideal that fellow trailblazer Rayvin Black is also set to line up. Hopefully, they will not take each other on up front. Richard Johnson has the experience and the guile to ensure that that does not happen. Sternrbin proved when he battled back after being passed in last year’s race that he was not a one-dimensional performer, and the concern is factored into his odds anyway.

On the positive side, the Authorized gelding loves Ascot. In three runs there, he has finished second once and he has won twice, both races competitive handicap hurdles. Also, although it seems like he has been around for ages, he is still only five, he is still capable of further progression. He gets to race today off a mark of 144, just 2lb higher than the mark off which he won over today’s course and distance in October, and that gives him a real chance.

BIG PLAYER

Meet The Legend could be a big player, he has bundles of scope for progression, while Tony Martin’s three are all interesting. Donagh Meyler’s 3lb claim off bottom weight Golden Spear takes him down to an effective rating of 122, which is an attractive hurdles rating for a horse who won the November Handicap at Leopardstown in October (!) off a flat mark of 87.

The first two from the listed handicap hurdle run at Sandown on Tingle Creek day, the two Henderson horses Brain Power and Consul De Thaix, are both interesting, although it is significant that Barry Geraghty prefers Modus to the latter.

Modus’ run in the Greatwood Hurdle gives him a big chance. But he meets Sternrubin on 4lb worse terms compared to their meeting over this course and distance in October, when he finished three-quarters of a length behind him, and he is half his price. Modus is progressive of course, he could easily improve past Sternrubin, but there is no doubt where the value lies at current odds and on current evidence.

SILVER CUP

Some 35 minutes earlier, Eduard could run a big race in the Silver Cup. Nicky Richards’ horse was a progressive novice three seasons ago, and he kept the best of company two seasons ago, finishing second behind Many Clouds in the Colin Parker Chase and again finishing second in the Peterborough Chase before finishing fourth in the Ryanair Chase in March 2015.

He missed all of last season, he didn’t run again until he lined up in the two-mile, five-furlong handicap chase that Royal Regatta won at Ascot last month and he ran a cracker there to finish fourth. His jumping wasn’t overly fluent but he still kept on well to get to within three lengths of the winner.

That was a strong race, as evidenced by the fact that runner-up Kylemore Lough ran a cracker in the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup last Saturday, and by third-placed God’s Own’s subsequent run to finish a close-up third in the Tingle Creek Chase. So it was surprising that the handicapper dropped Eduard by 4lb to a mark of 151. That is 8lb lower than his peak, and that gives him a big chance.

He obviously goes well at Ascot and Wayne Hutchinson is an excellent booking. This good to soft ground is ideal and, stepped up to three miles for the first time, he could run a big race.

Recommended:

STERNRUBIN 1 point each-way, 16/1 (generally)

EDUARD 1 point win, 7/1 (generally)