HENRY CANDY is a trainer who certainly knows how to handle a good horse and in the unbeaten Limato he may just have his best for some time.

Limato steps up in grade for Rose Bowl Stakes - sponsored by Compton Beauchamp Estates Ltd, and if Candy thinks the Tagula gelding is ready for Listed company then that is a tip in itself.

The softly-spoken Candy, who turns 70 later this year, has handled some very fast horses down the years with the likes of Kyllachy, Airwave and Markab all winning Group One sprints for the Lambourn man in the not too distant past.

He is no one-trick pony by any means, though, as his Oaks win with Time Charter proved, but of late all his better horses seem to have been sprinters and Limato has looked very fast.

Barely off the bridle when winning on his debut at Kempton, the horse he beat, Hawkesbury, came out and won by seven lengths next time out.

Two weeks later he returned to Kempton and in a better race he again triumphed with ease, beating Natural Order who was fourth in the Superlative Stakes last week.

With both of his runs to date being on Polytrack, racing on turf is the unknown factor, but there is nothing to suggest he will not be at least as effective and he rates an exciting prospect until he is beaten.

One horse from Ascot must have made it into the little black book of every punter, the Barry Hills-trained Nafaqa.

The fact he made his debut in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot was an indication of the regard in which he is held but he blew all chance of winning by being very slowly away.

He made ground hand over fist in the final two furlongs, though, to finish fourth and as long as he breaks on terms, it will take a very smart juvenile to beat him in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes.