Will He Pass The Interview?

The 4:05 at Ascot is a 7f classified event on soft ground, and the one I want onside is Fine Interview. The grey handled testing conditions well last year and looked back in form when finishing a very solid fifth of twenty at Glorious Goodwood.

That was a strong effort, and with James Doyle back in the saddle, this track and trip look tailor-made for him.

Hickory is reliable at Ascot but the going could catch him out. Among the younger brigade, Brave Mission has the pedigree (by Frankel) but hasn’t shown he can cope with softer ground. Fondo Blanco did win on it as a juvenile, though connections have swerved similar conditions since, which is a question mark. Of the pair, Fondo Blanco looks the bigger threat.

Last year’s winner Lord Bertie is hard to ignore, but his poor starts are becoming a habit. If he breaks well, he’s a danger – but that’s far from guaranteed.

At the time of writing, most firms are about 3/1 about Fine Interview. I was hoping for a little bit more, but it’s still a fair offer for today’s nap.

Selection: 2 pts win Fine Interview (Nap) – 3/1 with most firms