Rambling Bear has the form to win

RAMBLING BEAR can atone for his Royal Ascot flop with Victory in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury tomorrow.

RAMBLING BEAR can atone for his Royal Ascot flop with Victory in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury tomorrow.

The three year old was well fancied for the Cork And Orrery Stakes, only for the preliminaries of the big meeting to get to him.

He was most unruly going down, never settled after a slow start in the race and eventually beat only three home.

Trainer Michael Blanshard had previously done an excellent job in calming the formerly headstrong colt who is unlikely to get so worked up in tomorrow's tower key atmosphere.

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Rambling Bear certainly has the form to win this Listed event. He beat the Cork And Orrery winner Atraf by a decisive three and a half lengths over this course and distance in May.

And the merit of his subsequent victory at Lingfield has been underlined by the bold showings of victims Iktamal, Inzar and Averti in good company since.

A back to form Rambling Bear will take all the beating tomorrow when he will benefit from the assistance of regular rider Ray Cochrane who missed Royal Ascot through injury.

The £50,000 added Weatherbys Super Sprint gives Peter Makin the chance to lift the biggest prize of the day for a second Saturday running.

His Wilcuma defied near top weight in the John Smith's Magnet Cup at York last week.

But stable companion Secret Combe carries only 7st 13lb here, courtesy of her cheap purchase price.

The filly looks a real bargain at the 3,000 guineas she fetched as a yearling judged on a very promising debut at Bath and an easy win at Folkestone.

She can take full advantage of the weight she receives from her rivals here.

Henry Cecil can initiate an across the card double in the Mtoto Donnington Castle Conditions Stakes.

His runner Imperial President created a very favourable impression when scoring at Beverley a fortnight ago and has the makings of a good class colt.

Later, stable mate Place de L'Opera can complete a hat trick in the Food Brokers Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket.

Authoritative wins at Thirsk - and Leicester this term suggest she is set to live up to her high class breeding and a step up to Listed company is unlikely to stop her.

Go Britannia could prove the answer to the Food Brokers Animal Health Trust Trophy, a three year old handicap every bit as competitive as you would expect for its £30,000 prize money. The 185,000 guinea colt is developing into a performer with the ability to justify his price tag.

Pasternak is a very interesting contender for the Scania 1996 Truck Of The Year Trophy at Nottingham.

The colt's progressive form in three two year old outings, particularly a strong finishing third at Doncaster on his final start, augured well for his future in handicaps this season.

I should be better late than never on Sunday for Blue Duster who can make a winning reappearance in the Tunstall Fillies' Conditions Stakes at Yarmouth.

Her absence from the first half of the season has been disappointing, particularly to those whose backing at one time put her at the head of betting on the Pertemps 1,000 Guineas.

The filly's persistent back problems forced David Loder to scratch her from the Classic and prevented his getting her ready for the Irish equivalent or even Royal Ascot. But she has reportedly come on a lot. A recent trip to owner Sheikh Mohammed's base in Dubai has helped her recovery.

Blue Duster's high class form last year suggests she need only be fairly straight to make her belated return to action a winning one. Unbeaten in g races, she proved herself the best early season two year old filly with Ascot victories in the Queen Mary Stakes and Princess Margaret Stakes.

And she returned from a mid summer break to register a most authoritative two and a half length triumph in the Group One Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket last October.

It is significant that in demand Michael Kinane has escaped his other commitments to team up again with the filly who could still be set to play a big part in the top races later this season.

Ayr's feature, the Tennent Caledonian Breweries Trophy Rated Stakes, can go to Embryonic.

The four year old ran a blinder in the Noithumberland Plate at Newcastle last month, meeting trouble in running but staying on strongly to finish a close fourth behind Celeric.