1

Brendan Brackan

His trainer says that he was slow to grow up but this five-times winner has still provided his connections with plenty of fun, a G3 winning strike over this distance at The Curragh being his best achievement. He also kept battling when a close runner-up in a G3 over 1491m at Tipperary earlier this month, but he is untried at G1 level and this challenge will probably be too much for him.

2

Captain Cat

A five-times winner with a generally progressive profile. His last two starts have been amongst his best including a G3 success at Haydock, though the form of that race has been let down several times since. He has performed decently on slow ground but may prefer it faster.

3

Custom Cut

An Irish import who took time to find his feet in the UK, but has not stopped improving in recent months and has now won his last five starts. That includes his stiffest task yet in a G2 at Newmarket last time, setting off in front and when the others came at him he repelled them easily and was going away again at the end. He has won on slow ground but his trainer thinks he's better on quicker.

4

Graphic

An eight times winner who benefits from a positive ride. Well placed by his trainer to win a G3 at Maisons-Laffitte on his penultimate start but beaten a long way on his only subsequent run. There is no concrete evidence to suggest that he can win at this level.

5

Kingsbarns

A G1 winner as a two-year-old, looking a hugely exciting prospect but he has had his fair share of problems since and hasn't won another race. His three efforts this season have been just respectable and he never looked likely to win an Arc trial at Longchamp last month -finishing fifth of six - and moving back in distance now. An unlikely winner.

6

Top Notch Tonto

A former handicapper whose vast improvement last year encouraged his owners to supplement him into this prestigious prize, and that paid off with a terrific second place. However he has failed to win in six starts this season including some modest efforts. He ran quite well last time, making some late headway into fourth in a G2 at Leopardstown. A fast pace would help, with stamina his strongpoint.

7

Tullius

A tough little horse who has survived some quite serious injury problems. He has won eight of his 23 starts most recently a G2 at Sandown in April where the soft ground was ideal. The ground was probably quicker than ideal when he returned off a break at Newmarket last time, running a respectable fourth.

8

Charm Spirit

Has really struck gold in the second half of 2014, winning a G3 in June and G1's in July and September. In the latter victory - over this distance at Longchamp in September - he challenged up the rail and showed a really gutsy attitude to outgun some of Europe's leading 1600m horses, including Toronado and Night Of Thunder. A very tough horse and ideally suited to this distance.

9

Integral

Fillies at this time of year can make a lot of improvement and there has been a lot to like about Integral's recent progress. She gained her second G1 victory, at Newmarket this month when - under a brilliant front-running ride from Ryan Moore - she was able to easily keep a strong raiding party from France at bay. She's a super tough filly and is very versatile groundwise.

10

Night Of Thunder

Produced a 40-1 shock when beating Kingman (unbeaten in four G1's subsequently) and 12 others in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May. Despite one dismal run since, he has twice been placed in subsequent G1's proving that Newmarket victory to be no fluke. On the latter occasion at Longchamp last month, he came from a difficult position and might have beaten both Charm Spirit and Toronado with an easier passage.

11

Toormore

Unbeaten at two including a G1 success over 1400m at The Curragh, kicking off 2014 with another victory when beating the subsequent French Derby winner in a G3 at Newmarket. Life has become more difficult since and he was a beaten favourite on his last two starts, latterly when third in a G2 over 1600m in Turkey, running out of gas in the closing stages with connections believing that the extremely soft conditions were against him.