Like migrating birds, the Gold Cup meeting marks the end of Champions Season and visiting trainers head back home accompanied by many of the best horses. This year’s migration was delayed a week but we are now left with the common or garden variety looking to pay their way and justify their monthly expenses.

Over the next week or so a pattern will evolve with trainers who bottled up horses not capable of competing during Champions Season popping the cork – the trick is to work out which trainers and which horses.

With two Gr1 winners behind his name this past season Duncan Howells does not fall into the “battler” category because he knows which of his horses are geese and which are swans and with ten runners pencilled in for Scottsville today his runners may be worth following.

He has not made things easy in the Racing. It’s A Rush Handicap that heads up the nine race card having booked Anton Marcus for Kings Archer and current stable first call Muzi Yeni aboard the progressive Baltic Amber.

However, weight could be the key here with Marcus much more comfortable at 59,5kg and light weight Yeni aboard Baltic Amber with 55kg to shoulder.

That however, does not solve the problem. King’s Archer has plenty in his favour. After pulling outside draws at his last two starts he has finally cracked an inside gate. Given his style of running and over what looks to be his optimum trip he may be the stable elect.

But in Baltic Amber he faces a progressive gelding who has taken time to come to hand but now looks to be close to the peak of his powers. He found stable companion Saratoga Dancer too hot to handle at his most recent outing when trying to make all the running, only fading out of contention inside the final 200m. Given that he is in receipt of 4,5kg from King’s Archer, Baltic Amber may prove to be the right one of the pair.

But the list of possible winners does not stop there. Master Archer finished well beaten behind Saratoga Dancer and Baltic Amber when last they met but Sean Tarry’s runner was drawn in Woodhouse Road. He pulled another bum draw at Greyville at his next start but will now jump alongside Kings Archer which should make for some interesting tactics between Marcus and Anthony Delpech.

That leaves Diamond King. Tony Rivalland’s gelding has always promised much but has come up short when expected to feature. However, he has contested two strong feature races since returning from a break and during Champions Season it’s never easy. This will be his third run since a lay-off and over what looks to be an optimum distance he can give Brandon Lerena his first winner back after giving up his position as stable jockey to Ricky Maingard in Mauritius.

In all, this race epitomises what punters will be faced with in coming weeks and unless one is convinced of having worked out the form correctly, it may be best to stick to set weights races when it comes to all-to-come bets.

In the first, a Maiden sprint over 1200m, Timeous, runner-up in both starts will have her supporters although she was a well beaten second when sent out favourite behind Patty Cake. The year older Masked Girl has not been out of the money at her last four starts but she has had her chances and a high number draw is not in her favour given her obvious limitations.

A better proposition could be the Kom Naidoo-trained Simla. Last time out she was pitched into the deep end in the Gr 2 The Debutante won by the very promising Cosmic Light and a drop to Maiden company with 4kg claimer Tristan Godden aboard could see her triumph.

Dennis Drier has had a superb season with five Gr 1 wins and he will be looking to kick off his new term in the second with Rock On Baby. Caught late from a difficult draw on debut, she made amends over the same course and distance at her second outing, winning unextended. Second place Elephant Matriarch, some six lengths back at the wire, has since franked that form which gives Rock On Baby plenty of shine.

However, the Howells-trained Just Lucky, not aptly named given her myriad of problems, is rated 3kg superior to her nearest rival in the weights, Snow Rose, and must be given serious consideration. She has been racing over much further at recent outings but she did not gain her rating for nothing and although she drops in trip, this may well turn out to be her best trip.

By Andrew Harrison