Saturday tips: Byron Flyer can land the Shergar Cup Stayers at Ascot
Ian Williams' runner was a narrow second in the same race 12 months ago
GET your weekend off to a flyer at Ascot and have a punt on Byron Flyer in the Shergar Cup Stayers.
The Ian Williams-trained gelding was a close second in the race last season behind subsequent John Smith's Cup winner Euchen Glen.
Seven-year-old Byron Flyer has run several cracking races in competitive, long-distance handicaps since last year's meeting.
He was narrowly beaten into second in the Mallard Handicap at Doncaster at the St Leger festival and was run down in the last strides in a hot race at Haydock earlier this campaign.
He has turned in two rare poor efforts the last twice, though he has had excuses.
The gelding was badly hampered early in a race at Newmarket and was given an easy time by his rider.
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He was then held up off the pace in a slowly run Northumberland Plate and never able to land a blow as Withhold sprinted clear in the straight.
His shrewd trainer is likely to have had an eye on another tilt at this £45,000 contest for a while.
He is only 3lb higher than when just touched off in the race last summer, and this year's renewal doesn't seem to have the same amount of depth.
The main threat will likely come from his stablemate Speedo Boy, who won over course and distance on his last start.
He is short enough in the betting at 11-4, though, with the reliable Byron Flyer making plenty of each-way appeal at 14-1.
Alqamar is around a 4-1 chance, but I'm being polite when I say he isn't the toughest cookie when it comes down to a scrap.
Other likely contenders are Saunter and Star Of The East, but the selection is proven at the track and trip and arrives relatively fresh after a 42-day break.