Our flagship racing column looks ahead to the quality action from Haydock and features three Saturday bets to consider.
1pt e.w. Ainsdale in 1.45 Haydock at 12/1 (William Hill, Betfair 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win HMS President in 2.20 Haydock at 10/1 (Betfred, bet365, Coral)
1pt win Pogo in 3.30 Haydock at 11/1 (General)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
The bulk of the quality - and competition - centres around Haydock this Saturday and there’s still likely to be a bit of juice in the ground as their three-day meeting, which started with a racing surface on the slow side of good, comes to a close.
The Charlie Hills-trained POGO has been a non-runner due to good ground as well as soft ground in the past so it’s hard to be sure exactly what he wants, but either way he simply looks the wrong price in the Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes.
He’s one of the elder statesmen in this company at six but he’s been a bit of a late bloomer all along and was clocking some of his best figures just last season, including a Listed win over seven furlongs first time out at Leicester last April.
That bodes well as we know the 63-day break since last in action out in the Middle East won’t be an issue and while he barely raised a leg on his most recent outing at Meydan, the previous four and a quarter-length fifth behind budding Group One performer Songline at Riyadh would give him a massive chance here.
Pogo was arguably never better than when splitting Godolphin duo Benbatl and Master Of The Seas just four starts back in last year’s Joel Stakes and he had the reopposing Laneqash back in fourth that day. He also had Happy Power behind in the aforementioned contest out in Saudi Arabia and that one comes here a 4/1 chance after franking the form at Wolverhampton and Leicester.
Getting Pogo on side at 10/1 or thereabouts looks a really obvious play for what is admittedly a tight Group Three in which only 7lb covers the whole field on current official ratings.
Betfred Nifty Fifty Achilles Stakes favourite Dragon Symbol is one of those top-rated horses who simply has to be taken on, given his busy – and latterly frustrating – campaign last year, followed by a tame seasonal reappearance when debuting for a new yard in the 1895 Duke of York.
He weakened rapidly at the Dante Festival despite being sent off the 11/4 joint-favourite and while the keenness shown on that occasion may have been a sign of him just needing a run to settle into the season, I’m dead against him dropping back to the minimum trip here.
Atalis Bay showed blistering speed before fading on his comeback at Newmarket last month and has some good Haydock form in the book over the past couple of years, but he’d surely want it quicker underfoot, and at a bigger price I’m willing to chance AINSDALE first time up.
He’s been switched to Julie Camacho from Karl Burke after drawing a blank from nine starts in 2021, but it’s worth pointing out he ran several fine races in defeat, including a neck second to Liberty Beach in the Temple Stakes over this course and distance 12 months ago.
He missed his intended reappearance in the same Group Two contest this time around due to unsuitable ground, but it’s not like he’s useless on good going and it is easy to envisage him being fit and fully tuned-up for this stable debut.
I like the fact he’s drawn next to the favourite and the return of his usual cheekpieces – in place of the visor tried on his final start last term – is another positive factor. Anything like his best form would make him a realistic win candidate providing Dragon Symbol doesn’t run up to his mark again, but I rate him a solid each-way bet with Hills and Betfair who are both paying four places.
The Betfred Double Delight Handicap is arguably the best betting heat on the card and Contact is a threat to all having only gone up 5lb for his Newmarket win late last month. The ground isn’t going to be as lively here as it was there, though, and there are quite a few interesting horses in opposition.
Rock Eagle and Kelly’s Dino return from lengthy layoffs and wouldn’t be out of it if resuming close to their peak, while Forza Orta bumped into a handicap blot at York (Gaassee) and could make his subsequent 3lb rise looks pretty generous.
Scarlet Dragon has been dropped a generous-looking 5lb for his run behind Contact at HQ and you’re going back to 2016 for the last time he was rated as low as 90, but preference at the odds is for his stable companion HMS PRESIDENT, who is also on a decent mark again now and shaped like he was on his way back to the boil when fourth at Ascot earlier in the month.
The form has yet to be truly tested (none of the first eight home have run since), but winner Juan De Montalban is clearly held in high regard and runner-up Flyin’ Solo looks progressive so I’d back the race to work out well in time, and HMS President didn’t get a brilliant trip up the home straight.
Left alone on a mark of 88, he’s still 3lb higher than when last successful at Windsor last May but he went on to post several really solid placed efforts in quality handicaps and this mile and a half trip on the prevailing ground looks just about perfect.
Eve Johnson-Houghton’s horse has only had the six starts in cheekpieces, finishing second on three occasions in said headgear, and he should get a good gallop to chase here with State Of Bliss, Rock Eagle and Zabeel Champion drawn on his inside.
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