The clear form pick. Four second-place finishes at A9 level tells you everything — he has been consistently the second-best dog in fields a full grade above this one, and tonight he drops back to A10 where his speed advantage should be decisive. His composite score of 46 leads the field by two points, his field speed rating of 56 is four points clear of the next best, and his first-bend figure of 53 gives him tactical options. He is a front-runner who fades slightly in the closing stages, which is normally a concern at Hove over 500 metres, but his class edge is large enough that he can afford to lose a little ground late and still hold on. The rail draw is a bonus — it gives him a clean run to the first bend from the inside. His only defeat at A9 that was not a place finish was his most recent run (fourth), which is a minor worry, but one below-par effort after four consecutive placings is nothing to panic about. The strong confidence reflects a dog who has been competing at a higher standard than anything else in this field.