DELTA SOLEIL can reward Peter Harris' faith with victory in the £35,000-added Ladbroke Autumn Handicap at Newmarket, the richest race in Britain today.
The colt started the year a very interesting contender for big handicaps after showing useful form from just a handful of outings in his first two seasons.
His reappearance in March in the Lincoln, which he looked likely to collect until tiring late on in the very soft ground, marked him out as a sure-fire future winner.
He has still to prove the point as the turf season enters its final week but he is well worth backing to justify Harris' perseverance today.
The four-year-old ran two good races after the Lincoln, notably when a close eighth to Yeast from an unfavourable draw in the Victoria Cup at Ascot. And after a summer break he shaped very promisingly in a big field at Newmarket a fortnight ago, holding every chance until lack of a recent outing told against him late on.
Delta Soleil will be spot on today when he'll be a good deal fresher than most of his 25 rivals who have been on the go for a long time without a break. He is also well in at the weights, dropped 5lb since the Lincoln, and looks to have everything in his favour to improve on last year's third place in this valuable event.
Eldorado can emulate stable companions Double Trigger and Double Eclipse by taking the Zetland Stakes for Mark Johnston. The colt looked a high-class stayer in the making when he came from a seemingly impossible position at halfway to land a maiden at Bath
This Listed mile-and-a-quarter event traditionally offers the stiffest test of stamina of the season for two-year-olds and will suit Eldorado ideally.
Storm Alert invariably runs well fresh and can make a winning reappearance in the United House Construction Handicap Chase at Ascot for David Nicholson.
