Tony Calvin Antepost Tips: And then there was One to back at 25/1

• Good ground at worst this Saturday at Ascot

• TC whittles down field to 5 most likely to run

• Backs One at 25/1 in 14:25 handicap chase

Having looked in depth at the two big-field handicaps at Ascot, I thought I may as well knock some copy out, though I am still deliberating as to whether I am going up with a bet as I start scribbling.

If you find a runner in either of the two races, you are highly likely to be on a shortener, which is certainly not always the case given the margins most bookmakers bet to in midweek ante-post markets.

Dry and balmy weather forecast

The reason is that the ground at Ascot promises to be good at worst, unless they really go crazy with the watering (they put down 10mm on Monday/Tuesday, with another 10mm set to be applied on Wednesday), as there is virtually no rain forecast and temperatures are set for a balmy 13 degrees all week.

That means runners could be at a premium on what some trainers may be calling quick ground, and that is especially so when it comes to the 2m7f180yd 100k handicap chase at 14:25.

Eight of the 21 entries have the option of waiting for the old Racing Post Chase at Kempton a week on Saturday and seven have other engagements this week.

Last chance National saloon for Iwilldoit

I imagine Gordon Elliott's Dunboyne will stay at home if he goes anywhere and Zhiguli is due to run at Sandown on Thursday. Riders On the Storm and Iwilldoit have Grand National entries too, and the weights are not out for that race until next week.

Of course, Iwilldoit needs to run here in order to get qualified for the National but they didn't risk him on the ground at Newbury last weekend, so are they going to bite the bullet and run him here?

It is last chance saloon as far as Aintree is concerned for him and I imagine they will run, as he has okay form on good and a very good Chepstow win on good to soft. Whether he runs up to his best is another matter altogether.

So totalling it all up left me with a shortlist of five that don't have any other immediate options (well, options this month anyway). Of course, plenty of the other 16 may run, as it is a 100k pot after all, but I am being clinical with the whittling down.

King stand outs from five most likely to run

The five are, in alphabetical order, Farinet, One True King, Regal Encore, Revels Hill and The Wolf.

Of those, Farinet would appear to need more dig than is likely, as would Revels Hill, and they are only 8s and 6s respectively, anyway.

Of the three left that will handle the ground, the course specialist Regal Encore is a 15yo who has shown next to nothing in two starts here this season (though I appreciate he is down to a mark of 127 now) and The Wolf would be backing up very quickly after coming home a tired fifth in the Edinburgh National a fortnight ago.

He normally likes a bigger gap between his races. In fact, make that always.

And then there was one.

One True King in fact at 25/1 with the Betfair Sportsbook.

Now, the issue with him is that I have him slotted as more of a 2m-2m4f operator, but he has won over 2m7f over hurdles, and he may just get away with it around here on the ground.

A winner on good ground on his return over 2m5f at Market Rasen - he was rated 133 after beating a subsequent winner there - he ran a much better race, after two poor efforts, last time when fifth to Il Ridoto, albeit beaten 21 lengths, under a 7lb claimer at 66/1 in the soft at Cheltenham last month and he was dropped 2lb for it.

That leaves him on a peg of just 128 here and he has run two solid races in both starts at this course, over 2m1f and 2m3f, off a mark of 131.

I wouldn't mind him reverting to more prominent tactics here, and deciding his own fate in the stamina stakes off his low weight, for a stable that won this race with Ballyoptic in 2020.

All things considered, I think he is a worth a small win bet at 25s.

The each-way angle of four places tempted me, as it obviously should have if I think the race could cut up, but I don't have any idea if even he is an intended starter.

Of the others, Cap Du Nord stands out at 14/1 - I wouldn't lay 10s myself - as he only went up 2lb for his back-to-form second last time and the ground won't be any problem for him.

They could wait a week though and go for the Kempton handicap he won last year, but this looks a very tempting opportunity for them should they so wish.

It wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility that he could go off favourite on the day if he got the green light and, for what it is worth, Jack Tudor has been booked.

The 26-runner handicap hurdle at 15:00 was harder to shortlist, even though six have alternative options this week. Impulsive One is due to run at Wetherby on Tuesday.

In those circumstances, I couldn't really see a betting angle into the race, though Thibault, an 80/1 runner-up in this race in 2021, will handle lively ground and looked a fair enough price at 33s.

Back later in the week.