The Premier Race day meeting on Saturday is at Haydock Park. A competitive of seven-race fixture headlined by two Group 3 features. Track conditions are likely to remain good to soft.
We’re racing at Haydock Park on Saturday (Pic – Haydock Park on FB)
The first of the features is the Betfred Nifty 50 Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes (15h58), run over a mile and a half, for four-year-olds and older.
Eight go to post with three runners likely to dominate. David O’Meara saddles Estrange (7/4 favourite), a lightly raced daughter of Night Of Thunder.
She won two of her three starts last season, both on soft ground, including a listed race at Doncaster in November. Danny Tudhope rides and the step up in trip looks ideal.
The Gosdens send four-year-old Shaha (9/4) up north and get the services of champion jockey Oisin Murphy. This daughter of Cracksman has had four starts and her last run earlier this month at Goodwood was her best.
She was stepped up in trip to a mile and a half in a listed contest and was more than a length superior to the 105 rated older mare Scenic.
Third in the market at around 11/4 is the Godolphin filly Beautiful Love representing the inform Charlie Appleby and William Buick. More exposed than the other two, the Siyouni filly placed third on her last two starts at Gr2 level including a distant 12-length second to See The Fire in the Middleton at York a fortnight ago. She must carry a 3lb penalty here.
The race looks to concern this trio with Oisin Murphy taken to prevail on Shaha ahead of Estrange and Beautiful Love.
Later, at 16h33, 12 runners contest the Gr3 Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes over seven furlongs. Another competitive event with the Gosdens winner of last seasons Gr1 Lockinge Stakes Audience the 11/4 favourite.
Officially rated 122, the six-year-old is well clear on official ratings but his form since that run has been mixed and he needs an uncontested lead to show his best.
There look to be a few in here that race prominently including the Shadwell owned Alyanaabi who won easily on his seasonal return over this course and distance a fortnight ago.
Alyanaabi was thought good enough to contest the 2000 Guineas and St James Palace Stakes last season and could be much improved now a gelding. Jim Crowley’s mount is narrowly preferred to the favourite.
Mention must be made of the return of the top-class eight-year-old Kinross. He won this way back in 2021 and returns from a 224-day layoff. Rossa Ryan rides, and he can never be discounted.
