Side with youngsters over established stars in cracking John of Gaunt - and don't forget this mudlark if there's a deluge

This has the makings of the best John of Gaunt Stakes in years. Group 1 winners Audience and Kinross are pencilled in to join the party and face a host of promising younger horses.

Audience escaping a penalty for his front-running strike in last season's Lockinge is an obvious blessing. That performance, and his pillar-to-post Lennox Stakes success, gives him a buffer over this field on adjusted Racing Post Ratings. 

However, the John of Gaunt may come a week late for this fast-ground lover, who drops in class having struggled at the highest level the last two times. Weather forecasts suggest Haydock will produce slower conditions and that is Kinross’s bag.