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Haggas has strong entries for Haydock
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Can Bin Suroor continue his good run?
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Exciting Modaara up in class
Saturday's ITV4 races are from Haydock and Beverley, with the latter card holding their big 2yo race of the season - the Hilary Needler.
With four of the races at Haydock priced up on the Sportsbook, that's where the punting focus will lie, although the weather could be troublesome as rain is forecast for Saturday.
Haydock 13:15 - Back Makanah
Fifteen were entered for the Haydock 13:15 Achilles Stakes over 5f at the time of writing on Tuesday, but punting is quite tricky a few days before without the draw, as the recent Haydock card was very draw-biased.
In fact, with the watering, if you had a horse that wasn't pitched on the rail, you had no chance. So Saturday's race is well named, as Achilles was dipped into the River Styx in mythology, with only the heel free from water. We basically need the part of the track akin to the foot.
Equilateral was the market topper on Tuesday morning on the Sportsbook at 7/24.50 and his recent second in the Temple Stakes puts him bang in the frame behind Dramatised.
He's fast, but didn't win last term and has never run at Haydock before, but a nice flat fast track suits.
Last year's winner Raasel has an excellent strike-rate on the turf with nine wins from 20 starts, and he was one of the horses with an early jockey booking with James Doyle.
Raasel was also in the Temple Stakes last time and needs work to reverse the form with Equilateral, and he won't mind any rain, or extra water at the track as he possesses some soft ground winning form.
The 14/115.00 on Makanah made some appeal on first impressions.
Paul Mulrennan was booked up on Tuesday at the time of penning this article, and he is a sprinter that isn't ground dependant with form in soft and quick.
He's an 8yo, but his longevity is to be admired considering he usually races in tough handicaps. His run behind Bielsa at the Dante meeting was solid enough in a time that was three-quarters of a second off the Group 2 Duke Of York that day.
He stays 6f and that could be of great benefit with the possibility of rain, especially as he's a no-nonsense sort of horse who usually races up with the pace.
Haydock 14:25 - Live Your Dream
The Vulcan Village Handicap over 1m4f at 14:25 at Haydock had 12 in at the time of writing, and William Haggas' La Yakel is a 4yo who should make up into a quality handicapper over middle-distances judged on his progressive 3yo campaign last term.
However, like most Haggas handicap plots, there's no value juice in the price at 2/13.00 at all, and regular antepost column doyen Tony Calvin wouldn't be going anywhere near that price.
La Yakel may even shorten up.
In opposition is a field of older runners and trainer Saeed bin Suroor rather interestingly has two of his old boys entered with Live Your Dream 14/115.00 and Global Heat 14/115.00.
I tweeted last week that bin Suroor's recent strike-rate of 4-10 at 40% is heading Charlie Appleby's unheard of 10% in the last two weeks. It is the first time in Godolphin history perhaps that SBS is going the better of the two.
Suroor won with the 8yo Major Partnership last week at Nottingham at a decent price, and he's never a man to totally rule out with his older candidates.
Live Your Dream is the more interesting of his blue pair, as he was last seen in the 2021 Cesarewitch and was sent off 9/110.00 in that.
He's been off for 609 days, but he looked a very smart stayer when he landed a York 1m6f Handicap in 2021, clocking a decent time and some fast sectionals. Just what I like in a stayer - a turn of pace.
If it rains, he's acted in soft previously, and he's had a long lay-off before as he missed the entire 2020 season.
He's rated 100 and the risk is obviously the lay-off, but he looked potentially classy at York two years ago.
The trainer has also won with three of his last four horses and will almost certainly be welcome in the Vulcan Village if he can win this.
And in keeping with the Vulcan and Star Trek theme, I once bought the entire Star Trek series on VHS and never watched one - so I hope Saturday sees more value.
Haydock 15:00 - No bet
The Lester Pigott Stakes at 15:00 over 1m4f has the potential to cut up, as the last three renewals have seen only nine, five and five runners - although it usually throws up a good staying filly.
Sea La Rosa for William Haggas won it 12 months ago, and she went on to enjoy a terrific season at Group level culminating in a Group 1 success at Paris Longchamp.
Modaara has been a horse that has excited me and she returned this year with a 13L win at Kempton. She holds entries in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot and the Irish St Leger and the 4yo filly needs a clean run now as she hasn't stood much racing with just three starts.
I've got no idea what she needs in terms of going, as her two wins in three starts have both been on the AW. But she's a full sister to the brilliant Benbatl, and, while not a bet for the weekend, I am looking forward to seeing her run.
It's good to see a race named after the great Lester, as my father idolised him and I was well aware of him from a very young age with my dad's scrapbook (look up scrapbook, kids).
However, a tweet went out to suggest Frankie Dettori is the greatest Derby jockey of all time last week at Epsom - clearly the tweeter wasn't aware of the Long Fellow's nine Derby wins. Just the nine.
Haydock 15:35 - No bet
Aldaary is the 6/52.20 favourite for the John Of Gaunt Stakes, and while Boardman is a horse I religiously back every time he runs, I can't see him troubling the Aldaary.
The favourite is another William Haggas runner, and the trainer could clean up potentially on Saturday, and his 5yo tore apart a field in soft ground in the Spring Trophy last time at Haydock.
I'll be leaving that race alone, even if Boardman rocks up.
I'll also be looking after Saturday's column for TC so will be back later in the week with some prices for the Beverley card.