Haydock Big Race Verdict: Back Room Service to deliver John Of Gaunt success at 10/1

• Key contenders analysed for Haydock's Saturday feature

• Four places on offer on the Sportsbook for each-way bets

• Room Service the order of the day for Alan Dudman at 10/111.00 

Timeform Superboost

Jm Jungle is a bit of a standing dish at York having finished in th top four in six of his eight career runs at the track, and today you can back the consistent 5yo to finish in the top four again in the 14:40 race at the super-boosted price of 6/42.50 (from 8/131.61).

To take advantage of this Superboost, just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please Note: This Superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsters or writers.

Audience weak in the market for John Of Gaunt

From Tuesday onwards, John and Thady Gosden's Audience has been weak on the Sportsbook. Initially installed as the 6/42.50 favourite on Tuesday, the turbulence in terms of his price has altered the arithmetic somewhat and there's an argument to say he is now very much a backable price.

The key question with Audience is can you trust him?

He's not the most consistent, but he's a Group 1 winner in the field (the Lockinge last year) and drying ground is very much his thing. Haydock were good on Friday morning with no more rain.

I put up Room Service in this week's antepost column at 14/115.00 so I was delighted with the position on him when he was halved to 7s in midweek but he's now levelled out and gone back to 10/111.00.

The Betfair Sportsbook are offering four places here with the extra place and it looks one of the strongest John Of Gaunt renewals for a while.

Key contenders for John Of Gaunt

Audience has a history of going well fresh so it was a disappointment to see him trail in the rear at Meydan in April but he has those two standout performances in the Lockinge last May and a win in the Lennox on good ground by four lengths last summer. The hood was dispensed with at Goodwood and it remains off.

Alyanaabi is a a sprightly two years younger than Audience and he still looks a horse searching for his best trip.

He scored over course and distance last time, but the clock wasn't exactly hot for the race. Having performed over 1m and 1m2f last term, I wonder if his trainer Owen Burrows will gamble with him in the future, by trying a stiff 6f, as he's mentioned the possibility of sprinting in the past.

With just one on soft in his career, he's another who will be happier on good ground, or even good to firm if it continues to dry out.

Kinross is a former winner of the race in 2021, when the ground was good to soft, and Ralph Beckett's veteran might drift before Saturday as he often needs rain to perform at his peak. He's held by Audience on the Lennox from last summer in a race he got too far back in, and even with victory in the John Of Gaunt in 2021, he came from the rear.

Karl Burke's Spycatcher is another of the older brigade and a horse who has had his problems down the years, and he has fitness on his side with a victory in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster on his reappearance to confirm his well-being.

He often is seen at 6f, but his record over 7f is fine at 1, 4, 3, 1. The negative, however, is Haydock - in two outings here he has finished well beaten in both.

The 10/111.00 price on Room Service is very attractive for the each-way angle with the four places and he signed off 2024 with victory in the Listed Wentworth Stakes at Doncaster.

I confess when I tipped him in the antepost column, I was banking on the forecast producing more rain as he has winning form on soft, so it's understandable he's drifted back out to 10s. However, he is still lightly-raced and did actually win on good to firm on his debut in 2023.

Room Service is well worth trying with the 7f now as he shaped as if the trip could be well within range.

Pace map for Saturday

Front-runners/prominent racers: Audience, Alyanaabi, Tiger Bay, Mount Athos, Volterra, Grey's Monument and Quinalt.

Mid-division racers: Kikkuli

Held-up: Kinross, Spycatcher, Room Service

Trainer form and Haydock stats

John and Thady Gosden - Current form: 10-39 at 26%, Haydock record 16-84 at 19%.

Owen Burrows - Current form: 0-12, Haydock record 8-20 at 40%.

Ralph Beckett - Current form: 6-32 at 19%, Haydock record 13-67 at 19%.

Harry Charlton - Current form: 3-14 at 21%.

Karl Burke - Current form: 5-31 at 16%, Haydock record 26-232 at 11%.

Kevin Ryan - Current form: 2-29 at 7%, Haydock record 13-156 at 8%.

Big Race Verdict

There's no doubt Audience has become a backable price now at 11/43.75 with his drift this week, and on best form he has to go close as a Group 1 winner in the field.

Kinross' penalty and the unlikely soft for Saturday means it is easy to give him a miss. The same can be said for outsiders Mount Athos, Volterra and Ten Bob Tony who could do with the heavens opening.

Room Service perhaps could fit in the soft bracket, or certainly with ease in the going, but I really like the attempt at 7f here as I am of the belief it could unlock a bit more improvement.

As a sprinter, often races would happen a bit too quickly in front of him and that was evident at Doncaster when taking the Wentworth Stakes. He was off the bridle and in the wrong position away from the stands' side rail, so did remarkably well to win.

Timeform had the ground heavy at Donny, so it is a slight risk and it will be worth monitoring the clock on Friday evening at the track, but the likelihood of getting fast ground anywhere these days is as rare as a butterfly in winter.

Now read Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan with three to back at up to 5/1