Today's Racing Tips: Side with Fanshawe sprinter to leave rivals feeling Blue

• Draw and conditions look ideal for last year's hero

• Track specialists could trouble Gold bid

• Raise a glass to Clarets at Catterick

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Ascot, 14.05 - Back Kind Of Blue each-way @ 13/27.50

Trainer James Fanshawe has enjoyed tremendous success with the family of Kind Of Blue and the son of Blue Point could take further strides to guarantee his own legacy with a repeat success in this Group 1 event.

A close relative to The Tin Man and Deacon Blues, Fanshawe's speedster has enjoyed a somewhat light campaign, but the signs are that he is peaking at the right time and ready to deliver another marquee performance at Ascot on Champions Day.  

The selection's performance behind Big Mojo in the Betfair Sprint Cup was 7lb better than anything he had achieved in his previous three starts this campaign and he may have even troubled the cosy length winner had he enjoyed an uninterupted passage that.

There appears plenty of raw pace for Kind Of Blue to aim at today with Witness Stand and the free-going Quinault in opposition and his record in races of 17 or more runners now reads 112 so the demands of a truly-run, big-field contest clearly suit.

Ascot, 15.25 - Back Never So Brave each-way @ 17/29.50

There can't be many QEII contenders, in years gone by, that began the season with defeat in a Chester handicap, however Never So Brave has left those humble beginnings behind to develop into a valid challenger for this exciting renewal.

While it is difficult to envisage him being quite good enough to match a peak Field Of Gold in his pomp, the selection has made giant strides since that narrow reverse on the Roodee, bolting up in a Royal Ascot handicap prior to claiming Group 2 glory at this venue.

A game and geniune success in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, upgraded this season to Group 1 status, may not satisfy those that doubt Never So Brave is truly a top-class miler, however he counted Rosallion among his victims that day so, with an affinity for the track confirmed and the suggestion he is well situated in stall 13, he looks worth playing with four places on offer.

Ascot, 15.25 - Back Docklands each-way @ 12/113.00

In all honesty, I never really need an excuse to back Docklands at Ascot.

His form figures at the Royal venue read 1132221 with the latest digit achieved courtesy of a magnificent victory in the Queen Anne Stakes on a barmy summer's afternoon in June.

Jockey Mark Zahra dropped his whip a furlong out that memorable day, but it made no matter as Docklands knows his way round Ascot better than the bowler hat brigade which patrol the enclosures.

Hopefully, there is another big run in the offing here with Tom Marquand again taking the ride a couple of months after he partnered the five-year-old to an honourable fourth in the Prix Jacques le Marois.

My only slight reservation with the chance of Docklands is his ability to post big performances on the back of a recent run - his four career successes have come after 10, 20, 23 and 41 days off the track.

Therefore, a two-month absence is not entirely ideal, but the positives outweigh the negatives and the admirable five-year-old looks worth chancing to defy his underdog tag once more.

Catterick, 13.20 - Back Vintage Clarets @ 3/14.00

Catterick's restaurant will be serving porridge and toast to racegoers on Saturday, such is the early start at the North Yorkshire venue.

However, Vintage Clarets will be afforded a modest lie in given he doesn't bid for a notable hat-trick in the Catterick Dash until 1.20pm.

The last two runnings of this feature sprint have gone the way of Richard Fahey's six-year-old who has proved an excellent schoolmaster for young apprentice Ethan Tindall this season.

A winner at the Shergar Cup meetings, Vintage Clarets has faced one or two stiff tasks in warm company since and there was little doubt he was undone by a poor track position at Haydock last time when drawn in stall four.

The winner, King Of Light, was situated in 10 and made all up the stands' rail to beat rivals drawn nine, eight and seven as Haydock's draw bias reared its ugly head once more.

Fahey's campaign has never really got going this season in comparison to recent years, but his son of Ardad could provide a mini boost by completing a vintage hat-trick here.  

Now read Katie Midwinter's latest tips here