Earlier in the year, Philatelist showed his liking for the course when winning in February but did not have the best of luck in the running when eighth to Hattan in the Winter Derby on the Surrey course.

He bounced back with an impressive win in the Rosebery Handicap at Kempton before finishing a highly creditable third to Ask in the Gr 3 Brigadier Stakes at Sandown.

Sadly, an injury kept him off the course for the rest of the summer but Jarvis has been bringing him towards concert pitch with some decent paced work on the Al Bahathri and, as he goes well when fresh, he could beat Bronze Cannon, Grand Passion and Re Barolo in the Listed Churchill Stakes.

On the sprinting front, go with Chief Editor in the Listed Golden Rose Stakes.

Originally trained by Mark Wallace, he won three times before joining the Jarvis team and scored in fine style on his first run out of the Kremlin House yard.

He carried 9st 3lbs to a fluent four-and-a-half lengths win over Barney McGrew but then found the heavy ground against him, when third to Icelandic at Doncaster.

Jarvis has kept him on the move since then and he can find himself back in the winners enclosure despite the claims of Marco Botti's all-weather specialist and hat-trick seeking Ceremonial Jade and Simon Callaghan's War Officer.

Nick Littmoden has his under-rated speedster Orpsie Boy entered in both this race and the Better Prices, Bigger Wins At Ladbrokes.com Handicap and, if he runs in the latter, represents a cracking each-way bet.

Littmoden is a realist and so it is worth pointing out that he has considered it worth running Orpsie Boy in a Group race earlier in the year.

Though he cut no ice there, he has been dropping down the weights and the step up to seven furlongs in the handicap could enable him to initiate a winning sequence.

Jarvis could also be on the mark tomorrow with Millville in the wolverhampton-racecourseco.uk Handicap at the Midlands course.
His first win of the year was at Lingfield back in January and a month later he also scored at Wolverhampton.

After finishing in mid-division on turf at Nottingham he was given a summer break but, in the last month, he has been pinging up the Al Bahathri and seems ready to start his winter activities with a win.

Over the jumps at Ascot this afternoon, Group Captain will be backed to continue Hugh Collingridge's purple patch.

A Group Race performer for Roger Charlton, he also won three races over timber for Alan King before a couple of disappointing runs after which it was decided a switch of scenery might do him some good.

Considering he was not fully wound up, he ran a cracker to finish eighth to Tropical Strait in the November Handicap at Doncaster – an encouraging performance as he encountered traffic problems in the straight.

He flew in a good-paced bit of work with Royal Premier on the National Hunt Gallop on the Links at the weekend and, as he is a proficient hurdler, can give Collingridge his biggest jumping success to date.

This afternoon at Great Leighs, go with in-form Paul Howling's Cape in the Christmas Parties At Great Leighs Handicap.

The firm ground through most of the summer has proved frustrating for Team Howling and her winning opportunities were limited.

She has been striding out well on the Al Bahathri and up Long Hill and, all being well, should start making up for lost time in the ubiquitous Jimmy Quinn's hands.

The strong light-weight could complete a Howling double on board Resplendent Ace in the Wivenhoe Handicap as his work indicates that he is recapturing his best form.