Haydock

1:45 Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes (Group 3) 1m 37yds

Reach For The Moon is a hype horse who makes little appeal at around 6/4, and that price will surely drift.

Bayside Boy beat him at level weights last year, and makes obvious appeal at the relative odds, but I’m quite sweet on Triple Time, who was last seen winning the Ascendant Stakes on this card last year.

Triple Time won a one-mile novice here on his penultimate start, slamming Point Lynas by nine and a half lengths, and that form looks even better given the runner-up has won three of his five starts in handicaps, most recently in a red-hot affair at York’s Ebor meeting. A subsequent defeat of Hafit in the Ascendant over this course and distance has also been franked, with the runner-up beaten by just a neck in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

Triple Time’s absence is a concern, as is the recent form of the Kevin Ryan stable, but there’s a fair chance that the son of Frankel will prove the best of these, and he’s not taken lightly despite the negatives.

2:20 Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap 1m 6f 1yd

Speycaster was much better than the bare result when fourth in a similar race here on his most recent start, and the son of Highland Reel can strike in first-time blinkers.

Ralph Beckett has run 13 horses in blinkers for the first time this year, saddling winners at 5/1, 15/2 and 17/2, while another five have finished second, making the headgear look a definite positive.

Speycaster was a little unlucky here last time, when stumbling as he left the stalls, and that left him poorly positioned. I was impressed by the way he was able to work his way back into the race, and while he couldn’t pose a win threat, he did sterling late work to grab fourth in a deep field.

He did carry his head a little awkwardly there, and the headgear looks a sound move, while his previous disappointing run at York came at a time when a lot of the stable’s runners were disappointing, and his reappearance effort at Nottingham was full of promise.

2:55 Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Handicap 1m 6f 1yd

Soulcombe is afforded maximum respect after his Melrose romp, but he’s up against his elders and a stone higher in the weights, which asks more of him. I’d prefer to back each-way, and although both Island Brave and Going Gone appeal, it’s the latter – less exposed as a stayer – who gets the nod having finished in front of Island Brave in the Shergar Cup Stayers’ at Ascot last time.

Going Gone is tactically versatile, but I’d prefer to see him ridden with less circumspection than on recent outings at this trip, and he made all the running when gaining a brace of handicap wins over a mile and a half last season, and again at Epsom on his reappearance, bringing his handicap record at up to this trip on good or quicker ground to 1113. He’s still got scope to progress further, and while he will need to if he’s to win this, he has more upside than his current odds give him credit for.

3:30 Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (Group 1) 6f

Almost all of these have some chance, and luck will play a part in a big field. Dubawi Legend won the Group 3 Goldene Peitsche at Baden-Baden last time, and split Go Bears Go and Rohaan in Minzaal’s race at Newbury before that. That pair are both much shorter in the betting than him, and he looks value, especially if there’s a drop of rain.

Dubawi Legend is probably as big as he is due to a combination of German form being ignored (that worked well at ParisLongchamp last autumn, of course) and his rather disappointing run at the Curragh in between Newbury and Baden-Baden, but he was ridden with a degree of restraint in Ireland, and failed to produce a turn of foot, and I’m happy to ignore the run, particularly as he looked much happier when allowed to stride on in the Goldene Peitsche, winning with a degree of authority.

There was ease in the ground at Baden-Baden, and any rain would be a help to the selection, but he’s effective on quick ground, and the key to him is to utilise his stride rather than trying to conserve his speed, a tactic adopted in the vain hope that he would develop into a leading miler.

4:05 Betfair Be Friendly Handicap 5f

No surprises to discover who I fancy in this competitive sprint. Atalis Bay ran really well to be placed in this race last year, and is 3lb lower this time.

He’s taken steps towards his best form in recent starts, and was just touched off having travelled best at York last time. The slightly shorter trip will suit, and he’s a strong fancy.

Ascot

3:10 National Racehorse Week Handicap 7f

The best of the pace is among the high numbers here, and that should benefit The Attorney who beat a talented rival at Doncaster last time following a series of solid runs in defeat in competitive handicaps. The handicapper has been kind given his consistency, and he looks much too big in the betting here.

It bears looking at The Attorney’s form in more detail. He tends to need a run after an absence, and doesn’t quite stay one mile, but his seven-furlong handicap form when returned to the track within six weeks of a previous run is an impressive 43112222521.

He was runner-up – beaten by a neck – to subsequent Group 2 winner Jumby off 92 on his final 2021 outing, and has been beaten by no more than a length and a half since his return in some very competitive handicaps this summer, his fifth coming in the Bunbury Cup when he was once again a neck behind Jumby.

A win at Doncaster over the well-treated but frustrating Air To Air will have bolstered his confidence, and despite that tremendous consistency, he is only 4lb higher in the handicap than he was a year ago. He looks sure to have the race run to suit with Space Tracker and Silent Film providing pace on either side of him, and it’s a puzzle why he’s as big as 20/1 in a place.

3:45 Lavazza Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 1m 3f 211yds

Double Cherry’s Goodwood win in June has worked out well, and he was far from disgraced in a hot contest at Haydock last time despite being less than ideally placed. He’d appreciate some ease in the ground, but remains on a winnable mark.

Punters looking to back Tom Ward’s charge might consider waiting to see if there has been any rain by race time, while my view that the Haydock form is very strong will be tested when Speycaster runs there earlier in the afternoon. Double Cherry was two places behind Speycaster last time, and the pair were split by subsequent winner Percy Jones, who had finished second to Double Cherry in the Goodwood contest mentioned above.

Kempton

2:05 Unibet September Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3f 219yds

Dubai Honour is the clear pick here, but I wouldn’t be at all sure he will stay this trip having shown his best form over a mile and a quarter, and he’s opposable at around 11/8. Third Realm is not a confident choice, but he’s got a big chance on the form of his Tapster Stakes win at Goodwood, and Roger Varian is in flying form, with six wins and six seconds from his last 18 runners.

2:40 Unibet London Mile Series Final Handicap 1m

Wide draws do surprisingly well in the final of this competition, despite a general bias towards those drawn low in other races at the trip. Two Tempting is a big price from the outside stall, but he’s got a course record which reads 221, and he’s just 2lb higher than when winning his qualifier. He can reward each-way support.

Recommended

Speycaster 2:20 Haydock – 1pt win @ 8/1 (BetVictor, Boyles)

Going Gone 2:55 Haydock – 1pt e/w @ 14/1 (Paddy Power, Hills)

Dubawi Legend 3:30 Haydock – 1pt e/w @ 40/1 (Bet365 – 5 places, Ladbrokes, Coral – 4 places)

Atalis Bay 4:05 Haydock – 2pts win @ 5/1 (general)

The Attorney 3:10 Ascot – 1.5pts e/w @ 16/1 (general – SkyBet 6 places)

Two Tempting 2:40 Kempton - 1pt e/w @ 20/1 (general - SkyBet 5 places, Hills 22/1 4 places)