Alan Dudman Antepost Tips: Builder the master bet ahead of superb Betfair Haydock Saturday

• Five from Haydock priced up on the Sportsbook

• Betfair Sprint Cup takes centre stage

• Alan Dudman assesses three other races for a big weekend in the north west

Betfair Sprint Cup - Fuerte a flyer but Elite has the Status

Haydock's Betfair Sprint Cup meeting gets underway on Thursday, and the two days prior to Saturday are a perfect conduit into a busy weekend and five races from Haydock are all priced up on the Sportsbook.

The long-range forecast is not particularly easy; as last week was preciting a very wet period which didn't quite happen, and rain is due in midweek.

Plus, with the sprinting division how it is at the moment, a massive 22 held entries on the Tuesday morning with quite a few connections clearly fancying their chances - and it was good to soft at the time of writing.

I expect Kinross will be very much a rain dependant selection; as he craves some soft conditions which he hasn't had in his two runs on turf this season. It was officially good for his Lennox Stakes 7f last time, a race in which he found himself too far back, but it's hard to put him at 10/111.00 despite the appealing odds as we have to rely on the rain, and one now has to wonder if he's quite as good as he once was.

10 (10)

Inisherin

• J: Tom Eaves
• T: Kevin Ryan
• F: 2-16115

• SBK 3/1
• EXC 4.2

Inisherin absolutely deserves to be favourite at 7/24.50 and he's the best horse on official ratings. He already has a Haydock 6f win in the bag this season with the Group 2 win in the Sandy Lane - and he was impressive there in soft conditions officially, although Timeform rated the ground with some good in there somewhere.

A victory by over 3L saw him head and shoulders clear of that field although the sectional in the final furlong was the most taxing with a finishing speed of 99%.

The owner is double-handed at the entry stage with Elite Status at 6/17.00, and he's two-out-of-two this term with successes at Newbury on good and good to firm.

8 (11)

Elite Status

• J: Clifford Lee
• T: K. R. Burke
• F: 113178-11

• SBK 11/2
• EXC 6.8

His Hackwood win was a good comeback considering he missed the Commonwealth Cup due to a setback earlier in the season, and he certainly would have been a player there. We saw with Bradsell in the July Cup that being a fresh horse at this time of year is no bad thing and he displayed his heart and courage with the way he batted away Regional at Newbury.

His Hackwood win was a personal best and he's 5-8 in his career with wins in all sorts of ground (including testing in France last term) and he's still improving. He certainly appeals at nearly double the price of Inisherin.

Jasour is priced at 8/19.00 for trainer Clive Cox who last won the race in 2017 with Harry Angel, but he was too keen at Newmarket behind Mill Stream when seen in July and he cannot afford to be as eager again in a race over 6f. Perhaps he wants five now?

Bucanero Fuerte does look interesting at 14/115.00 on his juvenile form and his peak effort was a brilliant 4L romp in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in his freshman season. His trainer Adrian Murray said afterwards: "He's a serious horse. That's three runs and three wins here, he's the horse of a lifetime." But that was last year.

He missed Royal Ascot due to travel sickness in 2024 although Murray issued an upbeat statement this week on the eve of a tilt at Group 1 honours.

On his two-year-old form, Timeform rated him a better horse than Rosallion (117 plays 116) but it's hard to be totally confident about him training on as he's only been out once this season (winning at Naas).

In conclusion, Bucanero Fuerte is a potential each-way play as he's too big on his juvenile form, but Elite Status has proved himself after his setback and I like his chances at 6/17.00.

Maljoom has the class for a drop in grade

Elsewhere we'll go in time order for the Haydock card which starts at 13:15 with the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes 1m Group 3 and Maljoom was a 6/42.50 favourite on Tuesday morning on the Sportsbook.

This will be a drop in class from three attempts at Group 1 level this term - and banging his head against the likes of City Of Troy, Charyn and Notable Speech has seen him fall short. Hardly a shock eh?

His run against Notable Speech at Goodwood was his standout effort although he blew the start again and cannot afford to keep doing so. His rider Tom Marquand described him as a horse still on the comeback trail but he hasn't won this season.

Nostrum is a talented runner in opposition, albeit an exuberant type that has only been seen twice this season. He's another on a retrieval mission of sorts and was second in the Criterion last time on fast going. He's handful, though, a trait of some of the Kingman's, and I didn't like the way he raced and hung at Sandown in the spring.

He was gelded after Sandown, but there's still something to prove.

Holloway Boy is travelling well this season but not quite seeing out his races and produced his party trick at York last time in a valuable handicap - but handicapping form versus Group horses for Saturday makes him a non-bet for me - especially as he doesn't finish off his races.

Cicero's Gift at 7/18.00 is another potential runner to improve, but to my cost, backing Charlie Hills this season has not been a good idea and too many of his decent horses have disappointed, like Hills, who has only collected 20 wins this season and as currently cold and quiet on 6%.

In short, Maljoom's drop in class should do the trick, but the 6/42.50 is not for me.

Builder's Melrose run a big effort

The 13:50 Betfair Plays Different Handicap over 1m6f looks a good punting race for the stayers, although with 16 entered on Tuesday, I fear the race could cut up with the last four renewals comprising of seven, twelve, six and five runners.

William Haggas has a good record in recent times with Naqeeb and Favourite Moon both scoring for the Newmarket yard in the last four years. Sam Hawkens 12/113.00 is the Haggas representative this year, and was undone by the steady pace over 1m4f in the Shergar Cup recently.

He's unexposed at 1m6f with just one try, though.

6 (8)

Master Builder

• J: William Buick
• T: David Menuisier
• F: 2153

• SBK 3/1
• EXC 5

Master Builder at 13/27.50 looks more of a play here judged on his Melrose run last time, and his trainer David Menuisier is running into some form too as he's 4-16 in the last two weeks (as of Tuesday) at 25%.

That was an excellent effort at York in traditionally one of the strongest three-year-old handicaps of the season, and for a first attempt in a handicap, he performed well.

That came from 88 and a 2L length defeat hasn't seen his mark change, and surely he is too well treated from that mark?

Watching his effort again at York, he can be considered slightly unlucky not to get closer to the winner, as he was travelling with a fair bit of ease going into the straight (right behind the eventual winner), but Tabletalk made his move sooner to wind up the run, and Master Builder got caught slightly on heels with the lack of instant acceleration.

It didn't help his cause he was then short of room behind the retreating Going Remote, and in summary, the winner's move to go more to the centre was wise, but Master Builder ran his final furlong 0.25 quicker than the first past the post.

His Novice win at Salisbury over 1m2f in May was in soft, and perhaps he might need some cut, but he looked a galloper there and I really like his chances for Saturday and a second crack at a trip that promises to suit.

In fact, I make him my best bet this weekend and William Buick is booked - a jockey with a 19% strike-rate for the yard from his 42 rides.

Ex-Aga Khan purchase interesting from a mark of 91

Another highly competitive race in time order at 14:25 with the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap - and this could well be the punting event of the weekend.

A number of jockeys were already in place as of Tuesday morning - including Amie Waugh on Letsbefrank who is in off 78 and the top weight Grand Alliance is off 105! Goldie also has previous winner Euchen Glen in, with the 11-year-old at 20/121.00 - twice the price of the younger legs of Frankie and Amie.

I'm pleased Waugh has got the ride, as she delivered him with expertise at Hamilton and Thirsk earlier in the season, but Paul Mulrennan has had the luxury of riding him on three occasions since - including a scrambling effort at short odds at Pontefract last time over 2m1f.

8 (3)

Caliyza (Fr)

• J: Shane Foley
• T: John McConnell, Ireland
• F: 5/31126-

• SBK 33/1
• EXC 50

With all sorts of contenders here, it's certainly one to have a dart at each-way and the 10/111.00 on Caliyza feels like a bit of a step into the unknown.

Caliyza has joined John McConnell from Francois-Henri Graffard, and the filly showed a fair level of form in France over staying trips last term and was sold in the winter of '23 from the Aga Khan sale at Arqana for 100,00 French sheets.

As an Aga Khan bred, you'll pretty much know they'll stay but she will be one to take a chance on with the weather. Rain will be welcome and the 10s could shorten dependant on the forecast - which is never easy.

It might be a case of revising the options come Friday, but a mark of 91 for a lightly-raced stayer looks interesting and I would be staggered if we have seen the best of her.

Her last run was against Caius Chorister in the Group 3 Prix Du Belle Nuit (a beautiful name for a race if ever there was), and while she was well well beaten there, I watched her run again at Compiegne and she looks a strong galloper.

The negative is clearly the absence, but I'll be monitoring the weather with her.

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