Stocking and Atletico are strongly-fancied to give trainer, Roger Varian, and in-form jockey, William Buick, an across the card double today on Lingfield polytrack and 'good to firm' Windsor, respectively; both have plenty in hand on the time-handicap.
Varian has been slow to surface but he's a patient chap, like his mentor, Michael Jarvis, who died a couple of years ago; such a sad loss, a truly wonderful trainer who conditioned horses superbly with that lovely approach of kindness, and all things good, to aid thousands of thoroughbreds progress naturally.
Patience was his virtue and Varian has wisely heeded the experience of working with Jarvis, he has few runners before June, what's the point?
This year, especially, weather conditions have been diabolical and May, which finished yesterday, was surely the coldest and most unpleasant on record; the flowers illustrated that fact, conclusively.
It's cold and raining, as this is being 'penned', but Roger obviously realises he can't wait forever; we're nigh on a third of the way through this 2015 turf flat-racing scene and the Epsom Derby will be staged next Saturday!
It was originally decreed for 'the first Wednesday in June' but that wonderful tradition was scrapped by 'know-alls' who have proved, lamentably, they 'know' sod all and have done irreparable damage to the 'Sport Of Kings' by interfering.
Those wonderful grade one, three-day(s) weekday fixtures have gone, mixed in with 'all things Saturday', racecourses are over-watered and over-used, resulting in inconsistency, and the volume of dross racing has made for tremendous pressure coping on a day-to-day basis. Without my garden I'd be in a madhouse!
Varian has a stable worth following and another patient trainer is Marcus Tregoning whose Diamond Blaise wont be a surprise if he causes one in the Maiden Fillies' Stakes over six furlongs of polytrack.