Events / Graham Cunningham / 09 May 2009 /

Four weeks from now the Derby and the Oaks will be done and dusted, but for the moment the dreams of 100 hopefuls remain intact. Racing UK and betmaverick.com analyst Graham Cunningham casts his eye over the latest round of trials at Lingfield before touching on events at Ascot and Chester in his ever popular weekly blog.

All the signs are right for Aquarius to come of age on Lingfield's big day

You never know where the most significant clues will emerge as the cycle of classic trials winds its way around Britain and Ireland in the merry month of May.

Most people expect the main pointers to emerge from York and Leopardstown over the next week - and most people are probably right - but Lingfield played host to the subsequent Oaks winner Look Here on trials day last year and she didn't even win.

As ever, a fair amount of speculation is involved in backing the winners of the Derby and Oaks Trials at the Surrey venue, but this weekend it might just pay to keep it simple with Age of Aquarius and Midday.

Aidan O'Brien's quiet spring seems to be moving up a gear based on two wins in trials at Chester this week and, given that he won the Derby Trial here with Alessandro Volta 12 months ago, it's significant that he bids for a double at 3.15 with Age of Aquarius.

And this Galileo colt looks the form choice here after following his Dundalk maiden win last autumn with a fine fourth behind stablemate Fame And Glory in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud at the end of the year.

He's bred to improve with age and middle distances and looks set add his name to a lengthening list of Ballydoyle Epsom candidates, possibly at the chief expense of the impressive Yarmouth maiden winner Alwaary.

The Oaks Trial at 2.40 features a couple of potential big improvers in Floodlit and July Jasmine, but this pair took a long time to assert in winning their respective maidens at Kempton and Leicester last year.

Perhaps one or both has made massive progress over the winter, but if they haven't then don't be surprised if Henry Cecil's Midday has a major say in the outcome.

Steady progression has been the hallmark of this filly's career thus far. She kept on willingly to chase home Debussy in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on her reappearance and that colt didn't do the form any harm at all when third in Thursday's Chester Vase.

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Mr Mac to go on the attack for Owen in Ascot highlight

At the end of a week in which Chelsea missed out on a place in the Champions League Final because of a series of bizarre refereeing decisions it's probably as well we avoid the word bias.

And yet, where the straight course at the new Ascot is concerned, bias is a word that is hard to get away from.

I must admit that I tend to approach big handicaps on the royal heath with some trepidation because I'm never quite sure whether the field will split into two groups and where the fastest ground might be.

However, it's always tempting to have a crack at a wide open handicap like the Victoria Cup (2.15) and one of the most interesting runners on show also has a strong footballing connection.

Michael Owen (pictured) hasn't looked the happiest bunny while lending his weight to Newcastle United's long relegation battle, but his lightly-raced Mr Macattack has been doing him proud on the racecourse with two impressive handicap successes at Wolverhampton.

Granted, the two races in question were staged on Polytrack and far less demanding than this one, but Mr Macattack bolted up on both occasions with a turn of foot which marked him as well ahead of the handicapper.

Naturally, the assessor has reacted, and it remains to be seen if stall 22 is a help or a hindrance, but two of Mr Macattack's nearest victims in his latest win have franked the form and he's so lightly raced that a 10lb hike might still underestimate him.

The other interesting horse on my short list is drawn next door to Mr Macattack in stall 23. Step forward Evens And Odds, who turns out quickly following his emphatic win in a hot six-furlong handicap at Newmarket on 2,000 Guineas day.

Some might say that, like so many Dandy Nicholls horses before him, this gelding is destined to prove best at sprint distances.

However, Evens And Odds ran very well over seven during a previous life with Kevin Ryan. He was very strong at the end of a stiff six last Saturday and if he's in the same form again then a 6lb penalty seems most unlikely to stop him going well.

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