EVERY weekend can’t be Derby weekend, and this weekend certainly isn’t. It’s understandable, seven days after the Derby, 10 days before chariots at Royal Ascot.

As well as that, the feature race at Haydock today, the Group 3 Sky Bet John Of Gaunt Stakes, has cut up quite a bit, but that could present an opportunity.

Only two of the six runners go into the race on a high, and one of those two has about two stone to find on official ratings. The other is Boardman, and he looks over-priced.

Some of those ahead of Tim Easterby’s horse in the market have more fashionable profiles than he does, but you can pick holes of varying depth in the cases for all.

El Caballo was a top-class three-year-old sprinter last season, he won the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes, and he was sent off as joint favourite with the winner Perfect Power for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

But he was well beaten there on fast ground, and he was well beaten on heavy ground in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster on his debut this season. He would obviously be a big player if he could return to last season’s best, but he has a little bit to prove now.

Jumby could only finish fifth in the Abernant Stakes on his debut this season, admittedly after missing the break, and he was well beaten in the Lockinge Stakes last time, admittedly up in grade.

He is back in grade today, and back over seven furlongs, probably his optimum trip, and the distance over which he won the Hungerford Stakes last August, but he is another who is going to have to rediscover last season’s form if he is going to prevail.

The Astrologist is a Group 3 winner over seven furlongs in Australia, but his best form is over six, he was only just beaten in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March over that trip. But he was found wanting over that trip in the Duke of York Stakes on his first run in Britain last month, and he is another who is going to have to leave his latest run behind him.

On a high

By contrast, Boardman comes into the race on a high. He is seven years old now, but three of the last five winners of this race were six or older, and he looked as good as ever in winning the seven-and-a-half-furlong handicap that he always wins at Chester last time.

He travelled well through his race that day in rear, as is his wont, and, wheeled towards the outside in the home straight by Phil Dennis, he picked up well and left the impression that he was had more in hand than the winning margin of three lengths.

Tim Easterby’s horse obviously goes well at Chester, but he also goes well at Haydock, he won a valuable handicap over today’s course and distance on fast ground last April.

A 6lb hike for his latest win still leaves him with 9lb to find with the top-rated horses in the race, but it may be that some of his rivals will not run up to their respective marks, and it may be that Boardman can take another step forward today.

A turning left-handed seven furlongs suits him well, and you can see Phil Dennis dropping him in again on the run around the home turn and delivering him late.

It may be that he will be out-classed today, but it may be that he won’t, and he probably shouldn’t be as big a price as he is.

Achilles Stakes

Korker probably shouldn’t be as big a price as he is either in the opening Sky Bet Achilles Stakes.

Karl Burke’s horse was well beaten in a five-furlong handicap at York last time, but you can easily allow him that, he was badly hampered at the start and he just couldn’t recover.

He is better judged on his penultimate run, in another five-furlong handicap at York’s Dante meeting.

He was slowly away that day, he is often slowly away, he was last early on, but he travelled up well on the near side and he finished off his race well to take second place, just a half a length behind the winner Regional.

He has to find that half a length today, but he is 2lb better off with Ed Bethell’s horse, which should obviously help. More importantly, however, it is often an advantage to race up with the pace over five furlongs at York.

Regional made all the running that day, and three of the other four horses who, with him, filled the first five places all raced handily. Korker was the only one who was able to get into the race from the rear. He shouldn’t be as far behind Regional in the market as he is.

As well as that, Korker goes well at Haydock. In two runs there, both over today’s course and distance, both on fast ground, he won a nursery and finished second in a handicap off today’s mark of 103.

Equilateral is a player, but he may have been flattered by his run last time when he finished second in the Group 2 Temple Stakes, given that he raced close to the favoured stands rail from early, like the other two horses who, with him, filled the first three places in the race. Raasel could get closer to Equilateral today than he did that day, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him out-run his odds as well, but Korker is the bet.

If he can break a little more quickly than he did at York in each of his last two runs, then he could take a nice step forward.

Korker, 1.15 Haydock, 10/1 (generally), 1 point win

Boardman, 3.35 Haydock, 12/1 (generally), 1 point win