With four racecourses cancelling because of the impending searing heat, Carlisle is the sole fixture in the UK with an excellent card allowed to take centre stage courtesy of a lack of competition.
Those of us that champion a less congested fixture list get to enjoy one day where race watchers aren't suffocated by a catalogue of low-grade events which are forgotten quicker than an England cricket team curfew.
The Class 4 handicap Harswell Ruby tackled at York looked a strong edition for the grade and Roger Fell's filly tests that thinking by reappearing in this handicap 11 days later searching for a second win of the season.
The ratings gurus adjudged that performance on the Knavesmire, behind the well-backed Point Of Contact, the second-best effort of the selection's 27-race career and, although she has yet to run at Carlisle, she has run well at Beverley previously so the hill should be no great issue.
Joanna Mason was on board at York and another commendable run there took her form figures to 20144 aboard the daughter of Far Above with the only aberration being a Newcastle run where she was 18/1 and drawn poorly.
Back Harswell Ruby in Carlisle 15:30
Four Royal Ascot winners yet again confirmed what everyone already knows; William Haggas is an extraordinary trainer.
Of his 20 Ascot runners, Haggas also saw a number of his participants reach the podium with the likes of More Thunder, Rhapsody, Seren Star and Division all going close while there were only a couple of real disappointments throughout the week; Saber Strike arguably the most high-profile.
Outside of the obvious Flat powerhouses, Haggas has assembled a formidable team and a prize money haul in excess of £21million across the last five domestic seasons endorses his standing on the world stage.
The Newmarket handler ventures north with Albaydaa who landed a course and distance handicap by a neck at cramped odds at the end of last month and searches for some black type under similar conditions.
I expected the daughter of Pinatubo to win a shade easier than she managed last time and she will have to step forward significantly here given she tackles rivals rated 100 off levels, however her shrewd handler is happy to foresake her handicap mark in search for a Listed success and it is very much a case of in Haggas we trust these days.
The case for Wine Dark Sea in the Plate is pretty straightforward and unfortunately the layers will be wise to his chance too.
Raised just 5lb for a smooth Ascot win last time, the subsequent performances of third-home Opportunity (winner of the Duke Of Edinburgh handicap last week), Epsom scorer Too Soon (fourth) and Valedictory who crossed the line in sixth before landing a Goodwood event, have put a large red ring around the selection's victory in the formbook.
Even the 11th home, In The Breeze bolted up by five lengths at Goodwood next time out and Wine Dark Sea can follow up for a team that were agonisingly beaten in the Wokingham on Saturday with Completely Random.
Back Wine Dark Sea in Carlisle 17:05
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