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A small but select field of sprinters line up at Ascot on Saturday for the Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes.
Six runners contest the A.J Scahill Stakes event however it has long been the norm for the $250,000 feature with eight of the past ten renewals possessing single figure fields.
Those fields have boasted some impressive types though, namely 2006 winner Marasco and Joe Janiak’s globetrotter Takeover Target who won the 2008 renewal.
The 2016 renewal is held after Watermans Bay claimed back to back A.J Scahill successes in 2014 and 2015.
While the 2016 renewal features just six horses, the race is an open one with four different last start form lines brought into the contest from the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), the Railway Stakes (1600m), the Carbine Club W.A Stakes (1400m) and the Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic (1400m).
Vega Magic gets the not after his solid seventh in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) behind Takedown.
In clearly his toughest assignment to date, Vega Magic stuck to his task well and was awarded a new master Timeform rating of 114 in the process.
That figure is well up from his previous best achieved when taking out the Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at this course second run from a spell.
The son of Lope De Vega has improved with each run this preparation and can take another step in the right direction here.
First Among Equals holds favouritism in the event after a fast closing fourth in the Winterbottom Stakes, beaten only a length behind Takedown.
He had the measure of Vega Magic by half a length on that occasion and that is reflected by a Timeform rating of 115.
While First Among Equals defeated Vega Magic last start, the score reads 2-1 in favour of Vega Magic through their clashes so far this campaign.
Chocolate Holic is third elect three weeks after his victory in the Carbine Club W.A Stakes (1400m).
The effort was produced seven days after a midfield run in the Ascot Gold Cup over 1800m.
Successfully dropping back 400m in trip on a seven day turnaround is an impressive feat and the son of Blackfriars was yielded a Timeform rating of 106 for his efforts.
Chocolate Holic stays at the 1400m here and has an impressive record at the trip, four wins and a placing from five starts.
He is also unbeaten from six starts with William Pike in the saddle and the pair are reunited here, something which will prove invaluable in a small field where tactics will be key.
There are positives regarding Chocolate Holic however it should be noted the four-year-old will likely need a career best effort to be winning this.
Despite having been up for some time now, he continues to fire and must be a chance of finding another level.
Lite’n In My Veins drops back in trip after a midfield eighth in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) behind Scales Of Justice.
It was a fair effort which returned a Timeform rating of 105.
His best career performance to date came three starts back however in the Group 3 Northerly Stakes.
The gelding was back and wide throughout yet still proved too good late with a display assessed at a Timeform rating of 109.
Lite’n In My Veins and Chocolate Holic tend to drift back in their races.
In a six horse field, both can settle at the tail and not be far off the lead.
The three-year-old Lusaha is the new kid on the scene fresh off winning the Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic (1400m) here seven days ago.
Lusaha has a master Timeform rating of 103 now for the effort, well shy of what Vega Magic and First Among Equals come into this event off from the Winterbottom.
Only nine starts into his career, the More Than Ready three-year-old should be open to further improvement.
A three-year-old weight allowance also sees him carry five less kilos than his older, more seasoned counterparts.
In a small but competitive A.J Scahill Stakes, it’s Vega Magic who looks to have the right combination of upside and form for feature race success at Ascot on Saturday.
