ANTE-POST punters seeking clues as to the outcome of next year's Classic races could do worse than take a long hard look at this afternoon's Group 3 Solario Stakes at Sandown.

The seven furlong contest is jam-packed with two-year-old talent, none more so than Foss Way (3.10) from John Gosden's powerful Manton stables. Gosden has not been shy about singing the praises of the selection, a winner last time out over six furlongs at Goodwood.

Optimism for his prospects was not derived from the relatively unspectacular manner in which Foss Way won that day, more the suggestion there was a good deal of improvement to come from the son of Desert Prince once he was stepped up to today's slighter longer distance.

When it comes to placing his horses to maximum advantage, Sir Mark Prescott simply has no peers.

The in-form Newmarket handler currently boasts a quite remarkable 34 per cent strike-rate. If, like me, your maths isn't totally up to scratch, the long and short of that statistic means one in every three of his runners' wins.

Sir Mark's magical methods have certainly worked the oracle on Coalition (4.50), poised to land a four-timer in the GVC Handicap at the Esher track. Coalition has fair skyrocketed up the weights since landing the first of those three victories at Lingfield, but it seems nothing can stop the irrepressible three-year-old at present.

After all of the hullabaloo about the one-time favourite for the Ebor, Scott's View, being eliminated from the Europe's richest handicap at York, it will be interesting to see just how Mark Johnston's stayer goes in the £30,000 Showcase Handicap at Chester.

If Scott's View does happen to collect, it will be something of a bittersweet moment for connections since Hugs Dancer, the subsequent Ebor winner, picked up a very tasty one hundred grand for his valiant efforts.

Over the sticks at Market Rasen Night Fighter (3.35) attempts to make a smooth transition from hurdles to fences in the Crossroads Truck Handicap Chase.

It's a "big ask" for Night Fighter, especially as the fences in the home straight at the Lincolnshire course are notoriously treacherous. But to every negative there is a positive, and in the saddle is the indefatigable Richard Guest, who would not be risking the gelding had he not jumped like the proverbial gazelle in schooling sessions leading up to the contest.

The Kenyan 5,000 and 10,000 metre athletes were the first to prove there's something to be said for training at altitude and it appears to work for thoroughbreds too judging by the success enjoyed by Sue Smith.

Sue and her slightly more famous, or should it be infamous husband, Harvey, train high on the moors above Bingley in west Yorkshire. Many a winner has been sent out from their slick operation over the past few years including Mapleton (4.40), trying to make it four wins from his last five races in the Summer Fun Handicap Chase.

Mapleton might not be the fastest thing on four legs, but boy does he keep grinding it out when others are waving the white flag at the business end of affairs.

With the record for the all-time number of winners over jumps (1700) safely in his pocket, the amazing Tony McCoy reckons 3,000 is not out of the question by the time he hangs up his boots.

Just like the other top dog over jumps, Richard Johnson, who has had the misfortune to break the same leg twice over the last 12 months, the seemingly indestructible Irishman will sooner or later surely fall foul of injury.

In the meantime, however, the closing Miss Market Rasen Novices' Hurdle looks to be at McCoy's mercy aboard Doucer Des Songes (5.15).

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