Saturday Racing Tips: Mick can prove to be Our friend at Haydock

14:20 Kempton - Ayaar

There is a lot to like about Ayaar here, but the only thing that concerns me is the price.

He rounded off last season with a win in a 7f Newmarket handicap, but was sold for 105,000gns at Tattersalls in October and has joined Luca Cumani from Mick Channon, which I view as a positive.

The handicapper has raised him 4lb for that narrow Newmarket win, but he is still a well-handicapped horse on some of his earlier 2013 form, which included a good fourth in the Free Handicap first time out.

Cumani's horses have tended to need a run this season, but they have been running well all the same, and I would have thought that he will have this horse revved up on his first start for new powerful owners Al Shaqab Racing.

In short, I think he is likely to make his Kempton all-weather debut a winning one and he is worth backing at odds of 4.57/2 or bigger. But that price is my personal cut-off point, if the odds do tumble.

15:30 Kempton - Loyalty

I like Zurigha in 14:55 but she won't be much of a price either, and one that is sure to be a much bigger price is Loyalty in the 15:30, and I am going to give him one last chance at odds of 20.019/1 or bigger.

It could well be that he has completely lost his way, having beaten just one horse home in two starts in March, but he has slipped 3lb down the weights for those below-par efforts and returns to a course where he has a fair record, and also over a more suitable trip.

He has won four times at Kempton, three over this distance, and if he can break smartly and get a decent position from an admittedly not ideal draw in 10, then he could just outrun his big odds. He is likely to be the outsider of the party here, but could be a very welcome gatecrasher for us.

14:05 Haydock - Our Mick

The jumps season is still rumbling on, and I like the look of Our Mick in second race at Haydock.

I was originally siding with Beforeall but he races from 2lb out of the handicap and I am worried just how much a slog in heavy ground around Ffos Las took out of him under a fortnight ago, so Our Mick got the vote.

He won his only start here in a Grade 2 novice chase a couple of seasons ago, and I thought he ran really well to finish sixth at Aintree recently.

A subsequent 3lb drop in the weights was very welcome, and he is now a dangerously well-handicapped horse, who could be hard to peg back if getting loose on the lead and not making too many errors. His stable have been banging in the winners recently, too.

14:40 Haydock - Ultimate

I quite like horses returning to hurdles from fences, and I bet Ultimate is quite happy to be returning to the smaller obstacles too, after experiencing what must rank as an horrendous experience at Wetherby last time, where he apparently became "lodged" in the fence.

It is no surprise that connections gave him a lengthy break after that, and he returns to hurdles as a very well-handicapped horse, some 17lb lower than his chase mark. He is clearly a far more speculative choice than the likes of the solid Mojolika or No No Mac, but his odds should reflect that.

Back him at odds of 20.019/1 or bigger.

Elenika is another horse weighted to win at the moment, but he has disappointed me all season, and he is passed over in the 15:15. Hollow Blue Sky and Cloudy Bob would be my two against the field, but I'll give this race a swerve.

Recommended Bets

Back Ayaar @ 4.57/2 or better - Kempton 14:20
Back Loyalty @ 23.022/1 or better - Kempton 15:30
Back Our Mick @ 7.613/2 or better - Haydock 14:05
Back Ultimate @ 20.019/1 or better - Haydock 14:40