No sweat for Prince Charles on Ash Wednesday

PRINCE CHARLES went through the motions a month ago, comfortably beating seasoned overnight allowance horses in an event described as 'restricted overnight allowance', only that, similar to himself, they had never won at the level.

The Ash Wednesday Trophy, a non-restricted overnight allowance', is hardly any different, a bunch of runners, bar MY SISTER, DYSFUNCTIONAL and CAMPESINO, who have been stuck in the overnight-allowance bottleneck, horses who have never won an overnight allowance, the same made-up 'restricted overnight allowance' level, which PRINCE CHARLES romped a month ago.

Of the 11 rivals PRINCE CHARLES faces, three were in his rear-view mirror from his last victory - WARTIME, MISS FORMALITY and HARRY'S TRAIN - with him being hilariously lighter in the scale this time around, coming in at 118lb, Reyan Lewis' apprentice claim taken into account, as opposed to 121 a month ago, against the same horses, whose weight have basically remained unchanged.

DYSFUNCTIONAL, who has been groping for form since beating overnight allowance runners seven months ago, has topweight 126lb at an unfavourable distance, six and a half furlongs, needing at least another furlong, even when at his best.

Penalised for stumbling

MY SISTER has also been penalised for stumbling on an overnight allowance win, last October, coming in at 121lb, heavier than PRINCE CHARLES, spared topweight 126 only because of her sex allowance. Trainer Gary Subratie has removed MY SISTER's blinkers, hoping to have her stay the trip after three hapless tries in open allowance, but has unwisely opted not to call in a claiming apprentice to give the five-year-old mare a chance at the scale.

However, David Powell has done otherwise with old warrior CAMPESINO, going for the maximum allowance with Daniel Thompson, sparing the 10-year-old gelding 122lb, making him four pounds lighter than PRINCE CHARLES, which, alas, won't compensate for his declining ability at an advanced age.

As for AZARIA, EL PROFESOR, GRAYDON and NUCLEAR THUNDER, they don't belong in the event, hopelessly outclassed but making up numbers in a show of face to ensure the 'feature' appears well supported.

PRINCE CHARLES seemingly sluggish workout, 1:09.2 for five and a half furlongs, beaten by his stablemate and second-race debutant, GENERATIONAL, is nothing new. Before whipping rivals on last, GRAYDON had beaten him at exercise by a full second in a five-furlong spin.

Anthony Nunes could very well close a three-timer with PRINCE CHARLES, having GENERATIONAL looking tough to beat and TASK FORCE in the fourth, looking rejuvenated at exercise off a two-month lay-up, carrying 115lb at five furlongs round.