HAYDOCK SATURDAY

2.10 ApolloBet DAILY RACING REFUNDS HANDICAP (7F)

Glen Moss won this race a couple of years ago when in the care of David Brown, and he can’t be ruled out as he bids to score again for Michael Dods, while anything running for Richard Fahey needs consideration, with the stable finding top gear in recent weeks.

Both the Fahey horses have tricky enough draws to overcome, however, and the one who makes most appeal from a handicapping perspective is Lincoln, who was an excellent second in the Victoria Cup at Ascot last spring and has fallen to a lower mark after finishing 2015 out of form. He’s since been gelded, and with the Channon team largely in good form, can be expected to bounce back at his ideal trip. He requires a strong pace to bring his hold-up tactics into play, and gets that courtesy of the talented Majestic Moon, who needs to lead but is too dangerous for others to ignore, and that scenario means the selection should have no excuses granted a clean-run race.

2.45 BREEDERS BACKING RACING EBF MAIDEN FILLIES’ STAKES (1M)

It’s impossible to recommend a bet with confidence in this maiden race, but it is worth giving a second look to the well-bred Golden Glimmer, who is a full-sister to smart handicapper Birdman and fetched a small fortune as a yearling. Tom Dascombe had a debutant filly win at Newmarket’s Craven meeting and there is every chance that she will be forward enough to go close on debut.

3.20 ApolloBet BET THROUGH YOUR MOBILE HANDICAP (1M)

Several of these shaped very well in the Lincoln at Doncaster with Express Himself arguably the most eyecatching. Ed McMahon’s Dylan Thomas gelding will be popular now back at the scene of his last two wins, but a draw on the wide outside, allied to a tendency to start slowly, will surely make life difficult for him.

Preference is for Storm Rock, who also travelled well until the last furlong at Town Moor and was not knocked about on the heavy ground when his chance had gone. Likely to strip fitter for that outing, Harry Dunlop’s charge has the natural pace to take a good position from stall 10, and has the benefit of Eddy Greatrex’s claim, which will be very much in demand this summer.

5.05 ApolloBet ONLINE CASINO AND GAMES HANDICAP (1M)

Day Of The Eagle may be into the veteran stage now, but he hails from a yard in flying form, goes well fresh, and is almost guaranteed a good tow into this race being drawn next to front-runner and likely favourite Farham. Richard Fahey’s son of Smart Strike is the likeliest winner on paper, and afforded plenty of respect accordingly, but despite Mick Easterby’s tremendous recent run of results, his runners continue to go off at inflated odds, and that suggests he’ll provide the value in the race.

SANDOWN SATURDAY

2.20 bet365 JUVENILE HANDICAP HURDLE (2M)

Stuart Edmunds has resisted the temptation to run star juvenile Wolf Of Windlesham at either Cheltenham or Aintree this spring and that patient approach can reap dividends now. The Mastercraftman gelding was pretty ordinary on the flat for Roy Brotherton but was immediately transformed by hurdles when winning at Ludlow and Cheltenham on his first two starts. He impressed when beating some well-regarded rivals at the latter venue in November counting solid handicap yardsticks Romain De Senam and Oceane among his victims, and simply failed to handle heavy ground when well held there on his latest start over timber.

Since then, he has returned to the flat and suggested he was still improving when running away with a polytrack handicap at Kempton in February. Given Romain De Senam looked unlucky when runner-up in the Fred Winter off a mark of 136, Wolf Of Windlesham looks very attractively weighted on a mark just 2lb higher and that impression is backed up by Oceane’s recent second in a competitive handicap at Ascot.

The fitting of a tongue tie for Tommy Silver suggests a full-blown breathing operation is just around the corner, and that is a little off-putting, but it’s hard to rule out Voix Du Reve, who was poised to take the lead when crashing out in the aforementioned Fred Winter, and would make these all go provided that heavy fall hasn’t left a mark. Victory for Willie Mullins’ runner would add an extra frisson to what promises to be one of the most exciting days of the jumps season with the trainers’ championship very much in the balance.

2.55 bet365 OAKSEY CHASE (2M 6F 164Y)

One or two of these may have had too much for the season, and while I’d have Valseur Lido as the likeliest winner, I wonder whether it might pay instead to play at bigger prices, with the mercurial Third Intention looking rejuvenated for a spin over the National fences at Aintree last time, and he really ought to have won a Grade 1 here as a novice. Colin Tizzard’s nine-year-old took well to blinkers at Aintree and is arguably best at an intermediate trip like this. Normally a fluent jumper, he’d need a couple to underperform if he’s to win, but I can see him going strongly for a long way, and he’s not dismissed lightly given he comes here in better form than most.

3.35 bet365 CELEBRATION CHASE (1M 7F 119Y)

Not a betting race, but worth noting that the defection of Special Tiara, who would surely have been placed, is going to help Paul Nicholls collect some very valuable prize money even if his representatives all run poorly, and it would be ironic if that scenario was the final twist in the battle between Nicholls and Willie Mullins.

Un De Sceaux is probably the percentage call to beat Sprinter Sacre if you take the view that the Champion Chaser can only show his form sparingly these days, but that’s not an argument I subscribe to, and quick ground remains a minor stumbling block for the mud-loving son of Denham Red.

4.10 bet365 GOLD CUP CHASE (3M 4F 166Y)

Hugely competitive as ever, but it often pays to side with an improving novice in these late-season staying events, as we saw when Vicente and See You At Midnight dominated the finish of the Scottish National. The vote goes to Henri Parry Morgan, who has been much improved since fitted with a tongue tie, winning competitive handicaps with ease at Chepstow and Uttoxeter before an excellent second to Native River in a Grade 1 at Aintree last time. The son of Brian Boru is bred to stay all day, and looked a resolute galloper on Merseyside, so can be expected to improve further now presented with this stiffer test of stamina. He’s at the right end of the handicap, and goes particularly well for Sean Bowen, who starred in this race a year ago on board Just A Par.

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