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Remind me next time

There are a whole host of meetings on Saturday headed by Haydock Park and the Temple Stakes (see tips), alongside Beverley, Catterick, Goodwood and Salisbury on the flat and over the sticks at Ffos Las. Here are my value tips for Saturday – PJ.

Haydock Tips –

2.00 – Haydock – A really competitive class two handicap over two miles won last year by Noble Silk, set to race off a 4lbs higher mark this afternoon, but in arguably a better renewal with more strength in depth. Brian Ellison has a tremendous record in big races at the Lancashire track, both over the sticks and on the flat, and has a team of three entered here with the pick probably being the lightly raced SEAMOUR. A winner on the all-weather at Kempton last year, he was then sent hurdling and was as low as 20/1 for the Triumph after winning his first two starts, the first from the smart Pain Au Chocolat at Market Rasen, before defying a penalty at Wetherby.

Ellison then drew stumps on him with an eye on this flat season and he came back with an eye-catching run at the Dante meeting at York when running on nicely in the closing stages when sixth of 16 behind Libran over a mile and a half.

That outing should have blown the cobwebs away and set to race off the same mark (85) and upped in distance I fancy he will relish this yardage and will in time leave this kind of rating a long way behind.

William of Orange is a typical Sir Mark Prescott slow burner and his opening sortie, over a mile and three quarters at Salisbury, when the race didn’t pan out for him and he ran up against a smart performer in the making, will be better suited by this test. This two miles and even beyond should be his niche arena and I fear this son of Duke of Marmalade more than either Gabrial’s King or Rite To Reign.

BET NOW – SEAMOUR

3.45 – Haydock – (Temple Stakes – see preview)

4.20 – Haydock – This is the most fascinating handicap of the day and the lightly raced BUSHCRAFT strikes me as the type of horse to make his way up through the ranks and turn into a pretty decent handicapper this term. The reason this four-year-old has only raced five times is because he fractured a sesamoid in 2013 and was off the track for 20 months before winning at Windsor at the beginning of this month.

That success was obviously expected as he was a well backed 3/1 favourite and according to connections just got away with the ground being on the fast side of good. A 4lbs penalty looks very fair on the face value of that form, but he should be able to take another step forward and I doubt you will see him in another 0-90 handicap this season.

I will however, back him up with a strong second bow as I am always wary of the infamous bounce factor. ECCLESTON is a horse I have always liked and he sneaks in at the top of the weights off a mark of 90 after being rated as high as 96 last year, his best run came behind Chilworth Icon at Sandown off 95. 


His four and three quarter length eighth of 17 at Beverley was a good starting point this season after which for some reason the handicapper took pity on him and dropped him to his current mark. The other factor in his favour is that the four-year-old is thoroughly unexposed over the six furlong trip.

BET NOW – BUSHCRAFT

BET NOW – ECCLESTON (e/w)

Catterick Tips –

4.10 – Catterick – I am really sweet on the chance of MEZZOTINT in this valuable seven furlong handicap despite the fact that he was tailed off on his seasonal debut at Goodwood in a very tough 0-100 event.

However, he was part of a team of four runners that went way too quickly up front and in tandem with getting quite fractious at the start and sweating up profusely it was no surprise to see him weaken badly from inside the two furlong pole. That run will hopefully have taken the wind out of his sails and including his rider’s claim he now features off a handy 6lbs lower mark for the very shrewd Stuart Williams.

The one thing I would like to see though is for Aaron Jones to ride him with a deal more restraint and should he try to blast off again or race prominently then I will almost certainly be pressing the lay button.

Regal Dan has been well supported on his last two outings, but seemingly not run up to expectations, and connections now reach for the visor which may eke out a bit more improvement, but I am more worried about Evanescent and Finn Class.

The last named may well prefer slightly further, but comes here in good form, while the former ran well on his first start at Thirsk behind handicap snip Birdman although connections will be praying for the weather forecast to be wrong as he could do with some heavy showers hitting the course.

BET NOW – MEZZOTINT (e/w)

Best Other Bets –

With so much racing now at this time of the year on a Saturday you have to be pretty selective and there are three other horses I am interested in. HIGHLAND CASTLE has been set some pretty stiff tasks by David Elsworth in the past couple of seasons, but has his sights lowered in the Salisbury 7.40. 


Rated as high as high 95 16 months ago, the assessor has taken plenty of time to relax his mark, but he is now on 85 and there was still quite a bit to like about his run last time out at Newmarket when a staying on eighth of 13 over a mile and a half. This really is a race that he should be going close in and I shall be disappointed if he doesn’t make his presence felt.

Elsewhere, AYRAD has been given a more realistic chance of returning to winning form in the Listed Tapster Stakes, the Goodwood 2.20.

A far from disgraced 11th in last year’s French Derby was followed by short head and nose third to Nabucco and Red Galileo in the Godolphin Stakes before being outclassed in Champion Stakes last backend and the Gordon Richards on his 2015 debut. This is much more realistic and I think he can take the scalp of the Andrew Balding trained Rawaki.

I shall also be having a small interest in JUST CHING in the 8.15 at Salisbury. Charlie Hills is beginning to hit form and the mile and a half trip should suit this Darshaan mare perfectly and I will be shocked if she is not better than this moderate lot.

BET NOW – HIGHLAND CASTLE

BET NOW – AYRAD

BET NOW – JUST CHING