Confidence in Ramooz

It will take a bolder man than most to oppose Ramooz in the Air Movement Group Fortune Stakes at Epsom today. For although Ben Hanbury's tough campaigner undoubtedly has his quirks, he rarely runs a bad race.

From seven starts this season the five-year-old has won a rated stakes under top-weight at York in May and also managed some solid placed efforts. At Newmarket in June he was beaten a head by Muchea when bidding for a repeat victory in the Group Three Van Geest Criterion Stakes. Following a below-par run at the Curragh he bounced back with a good performance at Ascot in August.

Shouldering 9st 3lb in the 25runner Tote International Handicap, Ramooz made headway two furlongs out and kept on gamely in the closing stages, just losing the runner's-up slot near the line but finishing four and a quarter lengths adrift of well-treated Jo Mell, who was receiving 13lb.

Brought out just six days later for the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, Ramooz was probably feeling the effects of his hard race at Ascot and beat only one home.

Ramooz needs to be held up as late as possible in his races, and as such might be popular to oppose in a four-runner field like this. But there really is nothing in the opposition that ought to trouble an onsong Ramooz and in Kieren Fallon, he has the best possible pilot in a driving finish.

Generous Libra has looked far from a straightforward character in the past, but absolutely hacked up at Epsom on Monday and is worth chancing again in the Valiant Rated Stakes.

The secret with the horse may be to let him use his high cruising speed, rather than relying upon the use of any degree of force from the saddle. Richard Quinn did just this when not moving a muscle aboard John Dunlop's charge, allowing him to saunter home from fair opposition. On that form, he should prove strong enough for another small field.

At Haydock, Faraway Lass looks too good to miss in the EBF King's Regiment Cup Classified Stakes.