Windsor’s Monday card was abandoned due to waterlogging and the ground at nearby Ascot was described as soft, heavy in places on Monday morning although Saturday’s Champions Day card is not under threat with a dry week forecast after the weekend rain.

Cracksman is 6/4 favourite with BetVictor to retain his Champions Stakes crown and the suggestion is that Roaring Lion will bypass the race in favourite of a return to a mile in the QEII for which he is 4/1 with BetVictor behind French raider Recoletos (3/1) and Laurens (7/2).

The going is described as good to soft at Leicester and Shady McCoy is likely to be a warm order for Ryan Moore having run so well when third in the valuable Challenge Cup at Ascot earlier in the month. The 8-year-old can be slowly away, however, and the each way vote goes to Graphite Storm (3.05) a C&D winner off just a 1lb lower mark last September.

The selection finished runner up over a mile at Ascot from this mark when last seen and conditions should be ideal for Clive Cox’s four-year-old who should be fresher than most.

Royal Dancer (4.40) pulled his chance away at Kempton last time over 10f, but he looks potentially very well treated from an opening mark of 59 especially dropping back to a mile. Adam Kirby takes over from an apprentice this afternoon, he is well drawn in stall two and there should be no problems with underfoot conditions. The form of the Sylvester Kirk yard is a slight concern (0-14 in the last fortnight) but at least a couple of his runners have run well in defeat in that period.

I am interested to see what the market says of the chance of Sunday Prospect on his handicap debut for Karl Burke but Know Your Limit (5.10) ran his best race over today’s C&D from a 3lbs higher mark back in May and gets the nod. The selection remains a maiden after 15 starts but is well drawn, should get a good pace to follow and has his optimum underfoot conditions. He is an each way selection. Endlessly is considered well handicapped by connections – he is blinkered for the first time this afternoon but has a poor draw to overcome in stall 14.

Having been extolling the return to form of the Philip Hobbs runners last weekend you would have to say that his weekend was very disappointing, and he has now gone 19 runners without a winner.

The Novices’ Limited handicap Chase at Huntingdon is a cracker and I am sure there are races to be won by Copper West (3.15) over the larger obstacles. The has run two fine races in defeat at Southwell over fences on good ground having been bogged down on soft ground over timber last winter. Tom George’s 7-y-old is 4lb higher than when second to Too Many Diamonds back in June but that horse is now rated 22lbs higher and the selection went down by just a length.

I like the booking of Nico de Boinville for Whin Park (4.20) in the handicap chase. The selection won two of three points in the spring and ran well when amateur ridden over C&D back in May. He might not get things his own way up front with Foundation Man in the field, but he is open to more improvement as a six-year-old.

At Hereford Cresswell Legend (3.25) looked ready for a step back up in trip when second at Perth on his chase debut for Kim Bailey and David Bass. Note the horse (Cubomania) who beat him in Scotland has since won back on the level.

A more speculative selection is Kerrera (8.45) at Kempton this evening. The selection has dropped to the mark she won at Newmarket last August and tonight’s jockey – Fran Berry – has ridden her twice previously with a record of 31. The mare is well drawn in stall three.

For all the latest odds head to BetVictor.com and follow @BetVictorRacing on Twitter

Be Lucky!