Six selections for the eight-race card at Haydock Park on Saturday, Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup day
- 13:55 Rocket Boy (15/8)
- 14:30 Pierre Grosse (11/1)
- 15:05 Glen To Glen (10/1)
- 15:40 Almeraq (11/4)
- 16:15 Trilby (3/1)
- 17:25 Crown Office (5/2)
Prices correct as at 20:00 on Friday, September 4th
BAR 1 Betting horse racing markets can be found here
13:55 – The Ascendant Stakes, Listed Race, 8f, 2yo
Selection: Rocket Boy
Romanza will be racing in a hood for the first time and, also, for the first time since a gelding operation. Arthurian has shown plenty of promise in two runs and his dam enjoyed soft going. Rafe’s Da Man came good at Goodwood last time out, albeit on good to firm over seven furlongs. Rocket Boy wasn’t beaten far when third in a listed race at Salisbury last time and looks set to go well for an in-form jockey (five winners in the last two days), while First Law, who cost 1,000,000gns as a yearling, narrowly obliged in a four-runner race on his debut. He is open to plenty of improvement. He’s a half-brother to four winners that include Group 1 winner Skitter Scatter, and a full-brother to one. At the prices, though, we’ll take him on with Rocket Boy, although a good run from Arthurian would be no surprise.
14:30 – 14f handicap for 3yos
Karl Burke’s Galilean Quality will be all the rage here following his second in the Melrose Handicap at York last time out, although we wouldn’t be surprised to see his stablemate Asia Force give him a good race. We’ll opt for a bigger-priced runner, though, in Irish raider Pierre Grosse. He was just beaten in the Ulster Derby on soft going three runs ago when rated 81. He’s now rated 84 but Keithen Kennedy will take 5lbs off his back and the gelding will be racing in a tongue-tie for the first time. Having won two listed races at Paris-Longchamp on Thursday, Jessica Harrington has already had a good week. Maybe it will get even better at Haydock.
Selection: Pierre Grosse
15:00 – £100,000 Old Borough Cup Handicap, 14f, 3yo+, 0-105
Trainer William Haggas has won this race twice in the last three years and, given his good form, his two runners will be popular, particularly Finalise. However, ease in the going makes things less straightforward and it may pay to take a chance with Glen To Glen. Now rated 80, he was competitive in handicaps in Ireland last year from marks of 88 and 90 . He was purchased out of Joseph O’Brien’s stable for 50,000gns in July and won a handicap chase at Perth on his first run for his new connections. Granted, that’s an unusual preparation for a race of this nature but he could prove to be well-handicapped on the flat now.
Selection: Glen To Glen
15:35 – Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup, 6f, 3yo+, £400,000
After arriving late at Royal Ascot to land the six-furlong Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on good to firm going, Almeraq ran below par when finishing ninth in the July Cup at Newmarket, also on good to firm. However, he arrives at Haydock Park as the highest-rated horse in the race on 119 and is proven on soft going so makes plenty of appeal here. His trainer William Haggas is in good form, which always helps. Coppull might prove to be his main danger. He finished a very creditable fourth in the July Cup, but has never even run on going that was worse than good. This said, his dam won on soft going at, would you believe, Haydock?
Selection: Almeraq
16:15 – The Be Friendly Handicap, 5f, £45,000, 3yo+, 0-105
Trilby has only been raised three pounds in the ratings for his Beverley win on August 29th and still looks competitively treated. He has won on soft and heavy and, also, over today/s c/d. The lightly raced Advertised should have more to offer, while Toyotomi is only 2lbs above his recent soft-ground Goodwood winning mark. He seems to enjoy getting his toe in. Marching Mac also enjoys ease in underfoot conditions and has an impressive strike-rate, having won eight of his last 27 races for trainer Phil McEntee. Trilby, though, might be able to keep them all at bay. His dam won Group 1 races in Australia on soft and heavy going.
Selection: Trilby
17:25 – 8f handicap, 3yo+, 0-85, £20,000
Crown Office will relish the underfoot conditions and can start repaying the patience shown by the in-form William Haggas stable.
Selection: Crown Office
SELECTIONS:
- 13:55 Rocket Boy
- 14:30 Pierre Grosse
- 15:05 Glen To Glen
- 15:40 Almeraq
- 16:15 Trilby
- 17:25 Crown Office
