Fontwell 2:20 Result

Small, weak-looking field where the top-rated horse stands out. Royal Rhythm (OR96) carries the highest mark and his recent form line reads -55P31, showing a clear recent win last time out after a couple of below-par efforts and a pull-up - the improvement in the last run suggests he's come back to form and is racing well. He holds a solid weight (top weight but deservedly so on rating) and blinkers already fitted suggest the yard has found the key to keep him focused. Jonjo O'Neill's yard is in good form and a 3lb conditional claim helps. Atreides (OR94) is the obvious market rival with a decent recent placed effort, but his form figures (-63530) are more inconsistent and he's yet to show he strings together a similar level of form each time - tongue-tie applied suggests a breathing issue being managed. Jefe Triunfo has been off 96 days and his form figure U807-5 is patchy - fitness a question. County Champs was pulled up last time and, although he has some solid placed form at a lower class, the O'Brien conditional apprentice booking and drop back in trip make him hard to trust fully as the one. Clever Relation and Kings Order are both lower-rated and merely knocking on the door rather than winning, making them unlikely types to defy senior rivals here. Given the small field, Royal Rhythm's rating edge, recent winning effort and application of headgear to sharpen him up gives him the best combination of proven ability and current form. He looks the most solid contender in a moderate race, and current market prices likely undervalue his very recent winning effort relative to this level.