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Cecil's Ajaan to Give Yard a Chester Cup Boost
04/05/10

Ever since his tremendous effort in last year's Chester Cup when he lost out to Daraahem by just a neck, Henry Cecil's Ajaan has looked exactly the sort to return to the Roodeye and put up an even better performance in 2010, writes Elliot Slater.

Coming so soon after the controversial disqualification of Cecil's Jacqueline Quest - a 66/1 shot in the 1,000 Guineas fixed odds betting on Sunday - there will be few in racing who wouldn't be delighted to see the master of Warren Place gain some compensation with a Chester Cup victory.

Ajaan is anything but a straightforward racehorse. He has more than his fair share of quirks and doesn't always seem totally in line with the game. However, there seems little doubt that he goes well fresh and he will be competing at Chester after a break of nearly seven months. He ended last term finishing a very respectable fifth of 32 runners behind Darley Sun in the Cesarewitch.

The six-year-old son of Machiavellian, who runs in the colours of the Niarchos family, has obviously shown his liking for the unique Chester racecourse. So, despite an apparently unfavourable draw in stall 13 of the 17 runners, with the blinkers on to concentrate his mind there is every reason to believe he will give a very good account of himself once again. At current odds of 11/1 Ajaan looks a rock-solid each-way investment and he should be followed by anyone with an interest in horse tips.

There are plenty of dangers in this ultra-competitive staying handicap, and Andrew Balding's Bernie the Bolt has been talked up by connections. The horse was last seen winning the Cesarewitch Trial Handicap at HQ last September. Mamlook, runner-up to Darley Sun at Newmarket last October, has had a fine season over timber and, given a good draw, David Pipe's gelding could give Ajaan most to do.