JAMES BETHELL stands on the brink of his most valuable training success courtesy of Mine (3.10), who lines up for Europe's richest seven furlong handicap, the £150,000 Tote International at Ascot.

Bethell's stable-star came within an ace of winning the Bunbury Cup for the second year in succession when failing by inches to catch the trail-blazing Patavellian at Newmarket earlier on this month.

It was a heart-breaking defeat made all the more painful by the fact that Mine was held up in rear for much of the contest by jockey Jamie Spencer, the combination making headway hand-over-fist in the closing stages to get within a tantalising short-head of the winner at the line.

Of course Spencer would have been hailed a hero had he pulled the race out of the fire, but the fact remains he didn't and in hindsight had Jamie ridden the five-year-old a tad nearer to the pace they might well have won.

"He had a lot of ground to make up at Newmarket, but I didn't realise at the time that Patevellian gave my horse a bump coming out of the stalls shuffling us back a bit," said a philosophical Bethell.

None the less with a little more luck in running, plus the switch in riding arrangements to Eddie Ahern, and Mine might well be able to make amends.

Punters clearly think so as the Middleham raider has come in for heavy ante-post support this week, backed down to second favouritism behind the French hope, Ratio, trained by John Hammond at Chantilly.

Ratio staked his claim by dead-heating with Fayr Jag in the Wokingham at the Royal meeting and is a worthy 5-1 market leader, especially as once again he has the assistance of Frankie Dettori.

However, Mine is regarded in many quarters as a winner without a penalty, and in the circumstances looks better value in the order of 7-1 with some firms.

James could also be in the money albeit in somewhat less glitzy surroundings at Redcar, where his useful two-year-old Granston (2.40) holds decent claims in the six furlong Hertel Services Nursery Handicap.

Granston might as well been out on the adjoining M62 motorway when he last raced at Pontefract such were the traffic problems he encountered. Twice stopped in his tracks when about to make a forward move, Granston was an unlucky loser that day, deserving to finish much closer than in eighth spot.

The historic Beeswing Stakes forms the centrepiece of a busy card at Newcastle's Gosforth Park today.

David Barker's Celtic Mill and Mick Easterby's Blue Spinaker are fancied to come out best of the northern trained horses, although whether they will be able to cope with Newmarket's big hope, Lafi (3.00), is debatable.

Like so many of Alec Stewart's string Lafi's hardly got any miles on the clock and in addition there was plenty to like about his most recent effort at Sandown when fourth in £100,000 Class B race.

Having napped Brigadore (3.30) three times in a row, it was agonising to leave him alone when finally getting back to his winning ways at Ayr 12 days ago.

These things are sent to try the patience of backers and tipsters alike, but at least there is the opportunity to go in again and re-invest on the John Weymes' trained sprinter in the Freephone Stanley Handicap at the Tyneside track.

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