'Veteran' looks in fine shape to land another Chepstow win

Bonjour Steve
2.50 Chepstow
1pt winBrother Tiger
3.40 Lingfield
1pt winHandytalk
4.10 Lingfield
1pt winMy eyes light up whenever I see the word 'veterans' in a race title, but that's during the jumps season and I can never quite get my head round awarding veteran status to six-year-old sprinters.

They may start racing life much earlier than jumpers but several Flat horses, and particularly sprinters, continue to improve with age - and at all levels too, with eight winners of Royal Ascot's King's Stand Stakes since 2004 having been aged at least six.

It's normal to associate veterans' races with horses on the decline, but the top four in the weights for today's Get The Sky Bet Advantage Veterans' Handicap (2.50) at Chepstow - three of them seven-year-olds - all showed career-best form last season.