ON A huge weekend of racing, the biggest betting event is going to be the Totescoop6 Challenge Cup Handicap at Ascot (3.45) and I fancy back on this better surface that Outback Traveller could bounce back to form.

The Jeremy Noseda runner loves to hear his hoofs rattle, winning on a fast surface in his career off 84, 89 and then over course and distance last autumn off 93.

The four-year-old has had six runs since then with his outing in the Victoria Cup safely consigned to the bin as he raced prominently in a race which hugely favoured the hold-up horses.

His best run since then came last time out at the track when a two-and-a-half-lengths fourth of 16 behind Majestic Myles on good to soft ground when he faded inside the final furlong.

Once again he appeared not to get home on the dead going that day and was probably committed too early by Robert Havlin.

Dropped to a mark of 102 on the back of that performance, I am hoping that Martin Harley tucks him into mid-pack for just a wee bit longer before maybe unleashing him at the distance.

The biggest dangers to the selection could come from Professor (good second in the Wokingham Handicap here 18 months ago) and Buckstay, a fast finishing fifth in the Ayr Gold Cup a fortnight ago and much better over today’s trip.

With the ground quickening up all the time at the Berkshire track we could see an improved run from Barnet Fair in the finale at 4.55.

The Dandy Nicholls’s runner isn’t especially well handicapped but he loves to chase a solid pace over the minimum trip and hasn’t always had his favoured conditions this term.

Over at Newmarket the Sun Chariot Stakes is the main event at 3.30 and the French filly Bawina could prove the value under Maxime Guyon.

She ran well at the July meeting here when staying on fourth to Amazing Maria when a faster pace would have suited her better.

Granted a truer run affair, the daughter of Dubawi can outstay the likes of last year’s winner Integral and another French rider Esoterique.

Later on in the afternoon have a second look at the Godolphin runner Super Kid in the 5.15. He has been a shade unlucky of late and has the strong staying Shell Bay to beat in this mile-and-a-quarter handicap.

Over at Redcar, Obsidian has a much easier task than last Saturday when down the field in the Cambridgeshire when he contests the big mile handicap final at 4.10.

And so onto Sunday and the Qatar Prix De L’Arc de Triomphe (Longchamp 2.55) could well see history being made when Treve goes for an unprecedented hat-trick of wins. She can take the scalp of Derby hero Golden Horn and New Bay.