Can Gary and Josh Moore get Editeur Du Gite back to his best at Kempton to land third successive Desert Orchid Chase?

How big is the gap between handicaps and Graded races? We might find out here because Martator brings some of the best British handicap form to test himself in Grade 2 company.

His handicap form is strong, too. He thrashed last Saturday’s Ascot winner, Kotmask, by 11 lengths off a career-high BHA mark of 140 last month and the well-held Frere D’Armes has also scored since. That run puts him behind only Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone on RPRs.

Editeur Du Gite is bidding for a hat-trick in the race, having won it when it was a Grade 2 two years ago and in its first season as a limited handicap when carrying top weight 12 months ago.

However, it has all gone wrong since and form figures reading 5PP9P illustrate that. He has beaten just one rival in that sequence and came in at least 48 lengths behind the winner when finishing.

Has he completely gone or can Gary and Josh Moore produce a superb training performance to get him back to his best? It happened last year, when Editeur Du Gite had figures reading 4454 on his previous four starts and had been beaten by wide margins, so don’t rule it out.

Edwardstone also has as many letters as numbers in his recent form figures, but that’s because he has fallen twice in his last four starts. He was also behind another of these, Boothill, when third at Cheltenham last month and is 1lb worse off at the weights here.

Boothill (left): won on this card in 2022Credit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Boothill is a bit of a perennial bridesmaid, but has won over course and distance and was having his first start after wind surgery at Cheltenham last time, so looks likely to improve.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

What they say

Alan King, trainer of Edwardstone
He's none the worse for his unfortunate fall in the Tingle Creek. He's worked well since and his schooling has been grand, and it was always the plan to come here. It'll be tougher for him now this is a handicap and he's rated 163.

Harry Fry, trainer of Boothill
He's in really good form at home and I'm looking forward to running him back at this track. He won the Wayward Lad on this card two years ago and ground conditions should definitely suit him. Hopefully, he should have a good chance.

Venetia Williams, trainer of Martator
Each step forward he makes, he’s got to step into another category of contest.

Martator and Ned Fox jump the last on the way to a second straight victory at Ascot

Martator: has won his last five startsCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Keiran Burke, trainer of Soul Icon
He's going well and hopefully the ground will keep drying out as that will help him. He needs to improve again but we have a good jockey in Harry Cobden. He was fine after Sandown, but he was just outclassed in the race and the ground went against him.

Lucinda Russell, trainer of Traprain Law
He really needs heavy ground so conditions may not be ideal and he's out of the weights in a competitive handicap but he's run some good races this season.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Sans Bruit
He's running from out of the handicap, but he's far better going here carrying the weight he is rather than he would be lumping loads of weight somewhere else, like he did when carrying 11st 13lb at Ascot last time. He'll like the ground and we know Bryony [Frost, jockey] gets on well with him too.
Reporting by Liam Headd