Dancer centre stage at revamped Ascot

Such massive investment is great news for the sport, benefits that include providing a world-class stage for up-and-coming trainers such as our own Kevin Ryan to further showcase his skills.

On the current standings Ryan is by far and away the leading trainer in the north, a hard-earned position he can further cement by lifting the prestigious Victoria Cup with Coleorton Dancer (2.20).

Coleorton Dancer proved a bit of a monkey last season, winning first time at Ripon, only to disappoint on the majority of his other seven starts throughout what was an up-and-down campaign.

Inconsistency is the sort of trait which drives trainers to drink, however, just as connections might have been reaching for the bottle, Coleorton Dancer has strung together two excellent back-to-back performances on his 2006 return.

First of all the rejuvenated four-year-old chased home the high-class sprinter Philharmonic at Southwell, he then travelled to Lingfield and was only beaten around one length into fourth spot on what was unfavourably fast ground.

There'll be no similar problems at the Berkshire venue, which in common with the rest of the country has endured miserably wet weather, wretched for most of us, but music to ears of the mud-loving Coleorton Dancer.

Middleham's Karl Burke might also be in the money if Chjimes (12.50) strikes the right note for the opening McGee Group Conditions Stakes.

Burke is enjoying a majestic spring, having already bagged 30 winners, one of which came courtesy of Chjimes at Nottingham in April, when the son of Fath made a successful debut despite being sent off as a 25-1 rag.

Karl only coughed up 16,000 Euros for the two-year-old, a figure you could arguably now multiply by ten following the smart two-year-old's latest run when narrowly touched off in a Listed event at the Curragh.

Although Haydock's Silver Bowl Heritage Handicap boasts a fabulous £100,000 pot, the paltry eight-runner field is pitiful given constant bellyaching from the training profession about levels of prize money.

I wouldn't put anyone off backing Peppertree Lane or Anna Pavlova, first and second respectively for Mark Johnston and Richard Fahey in the same race at York eight days ago.

Both are on top of their game, but it does seem as if the more lightly-weighted Bin Rahy (3.45), who has been cunningly kept specifically for this valuable event by Mick Channon, could mug the northern-based pair.

Channon's three-year-old was soon under the cosh on his latest Chepstow start but instead of back-pedalling, Bin Rahy got his skates on and absolutely pulverised what looked a decent line-up.

The racing game is festooned with hard-luck stories, many of which are sheer fantasy, however that remark does not apply to Gilded Cove, who would have won at Nottingham last week granted any sort of daylight.

It's a long time since a horse was sent up quite so many dead ends during the course of a race but that was precisely the case for Gilded Cove, one of the most unfortunate losers I've seen in many a moon.

Doubtless all concerned were totally gutted, but the selection lived to fight another day and provided he's in the same sort of fettle is, in my view, a stonewall certainty for the George Duffield Apprentice Handicap.

David Barron is generally a man to be feared when he opts to send the likes of Sir Orpen (3.30) down to Newmarket.

Sir Orpen ran out of petrol when only fifth at Thirsk over one mile, a race in which he appeared to be in control at the head of affairs until his legs turned to jelly once the fuel gauge dropped to empty.

David Kinsella need not concern himself about an identical scenario occurring as his mount now reverts to six furlongs, a distance that might yet turn out to be Sir Orpen's ideal trip.