Apr 16th - Preview for Haydock

Whilst there isn’t too much to get excited about at Fairyhouse tomorrow, there’s a good card at Haydock, composed of  7 competitive handicaps.

The first 6 are all finals of the Challengers series - and with £50K on offer for each race, it’s not too surprising that the fields have held up well.

What’s more surprising, is that none of the races are being shown on terrestrial TV (as has been the case in previous years).
The way the dates have fallen, has resulted in a clash with Newburys Greenham meeting - but it must have been a tough call, on whether to show Haydock or the flat card at Musselburgh (the latter evidently won !).

It will be interesting to see how the ground is riding at Haydock.
The official description is ‘good to soft - good in places’ - but they’ve been watering, so we’ll have to see !

My expectation is that it will be similar to Cheltenham, earlier this week (so just on the soft side of good).

Here are my brief early thoughts on the first 6 races…


Haydock

2:09

All of the races on the card look competitive - and that’s particularly true for the opener, with 14 mares going to the post…

Peltwell is the early favourite, as she goes in search of her 8th consecutive win !
It’s an amazing record - and has seen her mark rise from 82 to 124.
She clearly has a chance - but this is her toughest task to date, and I suspect it might prove to be one step too far…
Lime Drop is almost as progressive, having has won 5 out of her last 6 starts - and finished runner up on the other.
She steps up 3 furlongs in trip tomorrow - and it’s quite possible that could bring about further improvement.
She looks the one to beat.
Megan is now a very well handicapped horse…
She seemed likely to win on her seasonal debut at Chepstow in October, when falling  at the third last - and followed that up with a good fourth to Soaring Glory at Ascot.
Both of those runs were off a mark of 120 - but she runs off a mark of just 109 tomorrow.
She has disappointed a little on her 4 most recent starts - but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise, if she were to bounce back to form.
Half cases can be made for virtually all of the other runners - with Hotter than Hell perhaps the most interesting of the outsiders.
She is another well handicapped horse, who looks to have been targeted at this race.
If the first time cheek pieces perk her up, she could easily outrun her odds.

2:44

I’ve been waiting for Deyrann de Carjac to run in this race, as it’s been his target for quite some time.
I made him a 1pt Best bet, when he ran in the qualifier for this at Kempton, in February - but he fell at the third fence.
He didn’t do much better, 3 weeks later, when finishing a distant third to Foxboro.
In fairness, that was on ground a bit softer than he would have liked - and I suspect the main purpose of the run, was to get his confidence back (and qualify for the final).
It also resulted in his mark being dropped 3lb - so he should be set fair for a big run tomorrow.
However, his trainer, Alan King, also runs 2 others in the race - and Isolate appears to be the stables main fancy (he has stable jockey, Tom Cannon on board).
In fairness, it’s not hard to make a case for him.
He’s the youngest horse in the field - and he beat a subsequent Cheltenham winner (Chambard) on his most recent start.
He too looks to have been targeted at this race.
Kings third runner, is The Unit - and whilst it’s harder to make a strong case for him, he’s quite attractively handicapped, so certainly not without a chance.
Again, cases of sorts can be made for most of the other runners, with Quoi de Neuf possibly the most interesting (if he can recapture the form he showed when beating Nickolson at Taunton in December).

3:19

This is another very competitive looking contest, in which most of the runners can be given a chance.

Zabeel Champion is the understandable market leader - despite disappointing badly on his handicap hurdle debut at Carlisle, in February.
That was just his third run over hurdles and he was sent off at 5/4 - but could only finish a well beaten fourth of five.
The reason he was so short in the betting, was because he is rated 104 on the flat - suggesting he has the basic ability to be much better than his opening hurdles mark of 116.
In fairness, time might show that to be the case - and he may well run better on tomorrows quicker ground.
That said, based on his last run, he has plenty to prove…
First Impression is rated 20lb inferior to Zabeel Champion on the flat - and yet 8lb superior over hurdles.
However, his hurdles rating is justified, based on his 3 most recent hurdle runs.
He was an impressive winner at Wetherby in November - and followed that up with a good third to Tommys Oscar and a second to Mick Maestro.
Despite that, he will get to run tomorrow, off a mark just 4lb higher than at Wetherby - and that gives him a good chance.
Howdoyalikemenow has run with credit in top class handicaps on his 2 most recent starts.
He finished tenth to Glory and Fortune in the Betair hurdle, in February - and followed that up with an excellent sixth in the Imperial cup, last month.
The latter form is strong - and he definitely has a chance tomorrow, off a pound lower mark.
Castle Gandolfo is the final one on the short list.
He finished a good second at the Cheltenham November meeting - and whilst he has disappointed in 2 subsequent runs, he may well have needed it last time, after a 3 month absence.

3:52

I did quite like the look of Tango Boy in this - but he’s been withdrawn due to a pulled muscle - so it’s back to the drawing board !

Unfortunately, in his absence, Bavington Boy and Musical Slave look the 2 most likely contenders - and they head the market…
The former will be chasing a 5 timer - and whilst he has risen 23lb in the handicap, he is clearly a fast improving horse.
The handicapper will catch up with him sooner rather than later - but this isn’t the most competitive of races and there is a chance that he will manage to record another victory…
Musical Slave bounced back to form last time, when winning a 4 runner race at Sandown.
Despite the small field, it wasn’t a bad contest - and he won it quite convincingly.
He has been raised just 2lb for the win - and still looks fairly handicapped on his new mark of 130.
Quartz du Rheu has won 3 of his last 5 starts - and been placed on the other 2.
However, he still looks fairly handicapped on a mark of 128.
He has a strong preference for quick ground - and as a consequence, has not been seen since mid-December.
There’s a fair chance that he’s been targeted at this race - and it will be no surprise if he goes close.

4:29

This contest has attracted the biggest field on the card - but despite that, An Taillur stands out…

He was sent off at just 3/1 for a 20 runner handicap at the Cheltenham November meeting - but unseated his jockey at the first flight.
He made amends next time at Taunton, with a narrow victory - before being put in his place by Maries Rock at Kempton over Christmas.
However, he lost little in defeat that day, as the winner subsequently took the mares race at the Cheltenham festival.
An Tailliur hasn’t been seen since, but gets to run off the same mark tomorrow - and on his favoured good ground very much looks the one to beat.
Away from him, it’s a tough race to call…
Kaizer has been in good form recently - but has shot up the handicap as a consequence and looks to have plenty on his plate.
Whilst Who Dares Wins ran really well, when runner up on his most recent start - but he will have his work cut out to defy a pound higher mark tomorrow (and is top weight).
At bigger prices, One night in Milan is quite interesting, off a tumbling handicap mark - and with a 5lb claimer booked.
It would be no surprise to see him outrun his odds.
Grosvenor Court also looks over-priced on just his second run in a handicap.
He disappointed at Ascot last time - but may not have been suited by the soft ground. His novice form suggests that his rating of 117 is quite generous…

5:01

The last of the Challenger series finals may not have attracted a huge field - but it looks a tough race to solve.

Miad O’Malley is the obvious place to start on the back of her last time out effort in the mares chase at the Cheltenham festival.
She was sent off at 100/1 for that race - but still appeared to have every chance when taking a fall at the second last fence.
The handicapper has responded by raising her 6lb - but if the form can be trusted, she is still likely to have 10lb in hand of her mark.
That does seem a little unlikely based on her earlier runs - though she had won her 2 previous starts and is clearly on an upward curve.
Molly Carew won this race 12 months ago - and must have a good chance of following up off a mark 5lb lower.
She’s not been in desperate form this season - but a series of defeats saw her mark slowly fall, until she won a last time at Taunton.
That was just a 3 runner race - and she only prevailed narrowly - but it did at least demonstrate that she’s in good heart…
Once again, it’s a race where a case can be made for most of the other runners.
At bigger prices, Midnightreferendum holds some appeal in first time cheek pieces,
on her final racecourse appearance.
Whilst Une de la Seniere could bounce back to form on the better ground, on what will be just her third run over fences…