Paul Kealy's play of the day at Ascot
Diligent Resdev
Diligent Resdev would be a typical winner of the Victoria Cup as he's a four-year-old on the up, and I think he's a big price for a horse who ended last season on a real high and ran a cracker on his return to action last month.
On his final outing last term he stormed home in the Ayr Bronze Cup, winning going away by nearly two lengths off a mark of 79 in the hands of a 7lb claimer, while last month he was a solid staying-on third behind a pair who were better positioned throughout at Musselburgh.
That was off a 6lb higher mark than Ayr and without a claimer or the visor he wore then (back on now), so it's clear he ran very close to another career best.
He needed all of 7f when getting off the mark on his handicap debut at York last season, so I have no worries about the trip even on this stiff track, and he'll go well as long as there's enough pace wherever Joanna Mason decides to put him.
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