Top tips for Sunday: Graham Clark marks your card

Saxonia has held his form well all year on both the turf and the all-weather having won two of his 13 starts and been placed on six other occasions. 

He can count himself slightly unlucky not to have registered a third win of the year at Wolverhampton last time out when the winner bumped into him late on just as he was rallying back.

His last win came off a mark of 70 at Newmarket in July, but given the way he ran off a mark of 74 last time, which remains unchanged here, that suggests he can win races off this rating. 

The son of Saxon Warrior is pretty versatile regarding ground conditions and, if the first time cheekpieces can help stretch out a bit more improvement, then he could be tough to beat.

Kentucky River showed a marked improvement in form when stepped up to an extended two miles at Doncaster last time out and a repeat of that effort should see him go close here. 

Although without a win in his first seven starts, the Ollie Sangster-trained gelding has taken a step forward on his last two starts following the application of cheekpieces. 

After finishing a close up fifth at Haydock Park in his first try in the new headgear he then found only the improving Belgravian too strong at Doncaster. 

That form has since been given a boost, with Belgravian defying a mark of 79 up at Haydock Park last time out which suggests that Kentucky River can take advantage of his mark of 74.

The ground here is likely to be quicker than it was at Doncaster, however that should not prevent him from putting in a big run given his run on a sounder surface the time before at Haydock.

It has been a slow learning process for Divot, however he has shaped with plenty of encouragement to suggest he is up to winning a race of this nature. 

Last time out, the William Knight-trained gelding put in his best effort yet when failing by just a neck in a class 5 handicap over 1m3f at the Nottinghamshire track. 

On that occasion, he was doing all his best work at the end of the race which suggests the extra furlong here can only help his chances. 

While this is a step up in class, Divot has no weight on his back, which come the end of a test like this, could prove pivotal. 

Fellow three-year-old Whatsgoingonmarvin is much respected from the yard of Sir Mark Prescott, but he has come up short on his last two starts and he looks worth taking on with the steadily improving Divot.