Antepost Racing Tips: Back Hannon and Gosden to hit the Heights on Saturday at 7/2 and 12/1

ITV Racing at Haydock and Beverley this weekend

If any soft appears in any description this weekend, the turf annals should be ripped up as the baking hot conditions with no rain at the start of the week should leave optimum conditions for fast ground quickies. Acting on heavy means you might as well go home.

The ITV cameras are at Beverley, Haydock and Chester (for one at the Roodee) although it's far from a high class weekend, but that could suit on the punting front as my three antepost tips last week in the high class races were all non-runners. One from last week gets a second try.

Saturday, Haydock, 13:30, Betway Handicap Tip: Back Mutaawid @ 7/24.50

The reception John Gosden will give the Haydock ground collective will be frosty at best after last weekend's debacle on the Temple Stakes card. The 1m4f Handicap will be weaker without Mutwaid.

He's priced at 7/24.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook, but we haven't seen him since last June in the Duke Of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot - a race he finished second to Ethical Diamond from a mark of 103.

I've done some searching but cannot find why the horse has been off since, but good to firm should not be a hindrance. Nor should the 1m4f judged on his Ascot run, as he stays well.

He scorched home last summer at Newmarket over 1m2f, beating a pair of 90-odd rated performers by 6L. As a three-year-old at Kempton in 2024, he thrashed some very good horses again by 6L with a devastating performance.

At one stage he held a Prix Du Jockey Club entry, but that's in the dim and distant past now but he still has the look of a horse with a high class handicap path in front of him.

Saturday, Haydock, 14:33, Betway Achilles Stakes Tip: Washington Heights @ 5/16.00

In last week's antepost column, I tipped Washington Heights at 20s for the Temple Stakes, so the fact he deserted a dart at that Group 2 in favour of a Listed race still makes him a bet.

This week's price is nowhere near as juicy as last week's, at 5/16.00, but then the race is nowhere near as juicy either.

Last year's Sandy Lane winner at Haydock over 6f is Symbol Of Honour for Charlie Appleby at 9/43.25, but I am not massively convinced about him, certainly not at the price, while fellow joint-favourite Starlust finished third in the King Charles III 5f sprint at Royal Ascot last term and that was his last outing.

Starlust, another Fitri Hay-owned speedster, might have this as a prep for Royal Ascot, and the same could be true for Symbol Of Honour.

Washington Heights has the ability to lay up with the best of them, and while he didn't fire in some of the top sprints last year, he did win a Listed race at York under front-running tactics, and he is fit with two runs already this season.

I'd be kicking myself for not putting him up again in a weaker race.

Saturday, Beverley, 14:15, Hilary Needler Trophy EBF Fillies' Conditions Stakes Tip: Back Rollthedicebaby EW @ 12/113.00

For those who dislike juvenile races, the two races from Beverley on ITV present a lot of problems.

I had a bet at Beverley a couple of weeks ago with Fuji Mountain - a front runner, as front runners have been doing well on the Westwood this term, only for the pace to be scorching and setting up the sprint for a closer. Lo and behold a come-from-behind sprinter went against the grain.

Richard Hannon's juveniles are currently 5-33 on the turf at 33% and Rollthedicebaby shaped well at Goodwood on her debut at the beginning of May.

She wasn't as sharp as the winner who made all that day, but she made up ground and was fastest in the heat of the race at the penultimate furlong at 10.62 seconds, and was faster than the winner at the final furlong chiming in with 11.33.

It bodes well she handled quite a difficult track at Goodwood, and after the way she finished, perhaps a stiffer test like Beverley could suit her better. She's got some experience too with that effort behind her.

Hannon has won the race once - in 2016 with Grizzel who rattled home from a position out the back to nail Clem Fandango, who was toast on the line. Grizzel had the one run prior to Beverley and a win at Sandown, and Rollthedicebaby is the only entry at this stage for a yard that would have a good number of two-year-old fillies, and fast ones at that.

A good performance here could book her ticket for the Queen Mary.

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