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This may see the price inflate, which might result in an additional bet. The Britannia is a monster of a puzzle and rather like the Gold Cup I've gone after a couple of overpriced outsiders in Eddie Jock and Players Please. The top weight clearly has a task on to defy his burden against so many potential improvers but what he has done is earnt the weight. His performance in the Free Handicap is possibly the best single piece of form in the race (beaten a length by Prime Defender and Tobosa - trying to give the latter 2lbs) and while he might be slightly better over 7 than 8 furlongs and last time out was a shade below par in race not run to suit, this will suit him a fair bit more and I'm encouraged that Michael Bell hasn't stuck a claimer on him suggesting that he feels the horse might be up to carring the weight and jocked-up Johnny Murtagh - very positive booking to me.

 No-one needs reminding of Mark Johnsons record at this meeting so the lightly weighted Players Please makes instant appeal on that score; was really impressed initally with this horse on the all-weather and a ran very fair race at Newmarket on his turf debut. He didn't seem to get home on rain-softened ground at Haydock so the drop down makes sense and Joe Fanning (2 from 2 on the horse) will look to make plenty of use of this ones confirmed stamina, which could see him very prominent and with Fanning's ability on one from the front it might be quite hard to pass, which would not be a 1st for a Johnson horse. I really don't fancy any of those at the head of the market so these represent a pop a my biggest ever single bet return - probably finish 2nd and 3rd now!..."