MIDNIGHT BAY is preferred to Hard Luck Story and Miss Cracklinrosie. Mick Channon's colt can earn the petrol money on this long journey north from his Lambourn base by making the necessary improvement from his recent debut. That outing came at Bath in a fairly warm novice stakes where he stayed on nicely into fifth. He does have to prove that he can handle this ground though and that is a point in favour of Hard Luck Story who went very close at Newcastle last time under similar conditions. The winner of that race was trained by Mick Channon so the selection's yard should have a decent idea of where they stand. Miss Cracklinrosie is another that has proved that she can handle testing conditions and she was only a length and a half behind Hard Luck Story at Hamilton on her penultimate start which doesn't leave her with too much to find but we'll award our vote to Midnight Bay.
