Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Organise a big improver on his handicap debut
The Gosdens have a host of promising three-year-olds in the yard, including the unbeaten Organise who is bidding to complete his hat-trick on his handicap debut in the Esher Cup (13:50) at Sandown.
The Esher Cup, a three-year-old handicap over a mile, is usually an informative race of its type and has attracted some likely improvers. However, none has as much untapped potential as Organise, the only runner in the line-up with the Timeform 'Large P', which is awarded to those deemed capable of much better form.
Organise, a 360,000 guineas purchase as a yearling, showed signs of inexperience on his debut at Southwell in November but that didn't stop him from impressively quickening seven lengths clear. He still didn't look the finished article on his reappearance at Yarmouth a couple of weeks ago but, despite taking a bit of time to hit top gear, he hit the line powerfully to win going away by a length and a quarter.
An opening BHA mark of 97 is no more than fair strictly on the bare form of what Organise has achieved, but it's likely we're just scratching the surface of his ability and it's likely that handicaps are only a stepping stone on the way to bigger targets.
Race conditions suit Field of Gold in red-hot Mile
An excellent edition of the bet365 Mile (15:00) has attracted four of Timeform's five highest-rated milers, with only Breeders' Cup winner Notable Speech missing the clash.
Last season's Irish 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes winner Field of Gold heads the division based on Timeform's ratings, with Zeus Olympios, Opera Ballo and Never So Brave also prominent in the pecking order. The terms of Friday's race count against Opera Ballo and Zeus Olympios, however, as they carry penalties, so perhaps next month's Lockinge Stakes will offer a better indication about the state of the division as the horses will be race-fit and competing on level terms at Newbury.
Field of Gold's three-year-old campaign ultimately ended on a couple of disappointing notes - albeit with excuses - but the form he showed when a spectacular winner of the St James's Palace Stakes currently sets the standard in the division and he heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for the bet365 Mile by 4 lb.
Next in the weight-adjusted ratings pecking order is Never So Brave, who also escapes a penalty. It's worth noting that his performance in the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot last season earned him a higher rating than Docklands achieved for winning the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Zeus Olympios created a superb impression when winning all four starts last season and looks well up to making his mark in a division that has been crying out for new talent. It would be no surprise at all were he to ultimately prove the pick of the division but the terms of Friday's race put Field of Gold at an advantage.
The Kemble Brewery has clear claims on ratings
The Kemble Brewery found one too good on his return to hurdling at Chepstow a couple of weeks ago, but there was absolutely no shame in coming up short against an unexposed, progressive young horse and he deserves plenty of credit for pulling nine and a half lengths clear of the third.
Indeed, that performance has been rated as the best of The Kemble Brewery's career and a marked step up on what he showed during an encouraging novice campaign last season. He's not had a clear run at things this term as he fell on his chasing debut in November and was then off the track until a couple of weeks ago, but that promising display suggests he's better than ever and a 2 lb rise in the weights is lenient.
He is back over the same course and distance in the two-mile handicap hurdle (19:07) at Chepstow and comes out 4 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings. He also has Timeform's Horses For Courses Flag to highlight his effectiveness at the track.
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