Fair Along the Cesarewitch fancy

Let's get one thing straight. To win the Cesarewitch, you need to be drawn high. The lowest stall any of the last nine winners have inhabited was 17 and the first six home last year were housed in 29,32,11,20, 21 and 31. For players of the Scoop6, that makes life a lot easier, and the likes of former favourite Samurai Way and John Queally's Al Eile can be struck off your lists now. Interestingly for a handicap with over 30 horses in it, no winner in the last ten years was priced higher than 16/1 and although it seems a minefield, it should pay to get rid of some of the flotsam and jetsam that inhabit the lower reaches of the bookies' lists. Macorville advertised his claims in the Irish St Leger last month with an extraordinary run which saw him finish six-lengths behind champion stayer Yeats. Prior to that, he finished second in a Listed contest at York after he had showed that these sort of marathon handicaps are right up his street with a fine second in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. The only drawback with Kevin Darley's mount is that he relishes the soft going. Clerk of the course Michael Prosser has been keen to tell Godolphin that the track is 'drying out slowly' so that they run their classy juvenile Rio De La Plata in the Dewhurst Stakes earlier on the card, so it seems that Marcorville's chances may have diminished. If the going does come up soft though, he would rate a major fancy. Leg Spinner had a leading chance in the Cesarewitch before he ran an absolute shocker last month in a hurdle race at Listowel. The six-year-old trailed in a distance having been sent off the 11/10 favourite and despite the ability, the draw and being lightly-raced, he is passed over for Newmarket only because of this. Athough a short-priced favourite for a race of this nature, Fair Along looks by far the most likely winner at Newmarket and he will form the cornerstone of our attack on this race at 6/1 with Blue Square. The once Triumph hurdle runner-up has had the summer off, but he should come into the Cesarewitch fresh and ready to put in a massive effort. Phillip Hobbs's five year-old put up a solid run behind Greenwich Meantime in the Chester Cup earlier in the season and with a good draw, he must qualify as a pick in anyone's Scoop6 perm and at Blue Square's odds. Sunley Sense has been progressing nicely in handicaps although the Listed contest when third behind Distinction and Solent at Ascot at the end of last month should be treated with caution. Another with a good draw at Newmarket, and a low weight, the only three-year-old in the line-up can go well. Others to consider for the Cesarewitch are Inchnadamph who has been placed twice in this contest before and Nicky Henderson's Afrad if the ground doesn't dry out. Verdict: 1pt Fair Along @ 6/1 (Blue Square)