ITV Saturday Sandown And Haydock Preview

The first selection of the day comes in the Group Three Coral Charge over five furlongs and the horse we are siding with is Arecibo for how progressive he has been this term.

Having been a horse under David O'Meara that always flattered to disappoint in handicap company, this season he has turned into a different animal.

He started the season off at Newmarket when winning a Class 3 Handicap in good style and tried to back that up in a Group Three over the same C&D but could not.

However, he bounced back to form in a big way next time out when winning a Class 2 Handicap with ease on soft ground.

This made his trainer Robert Cowell step him up last time out into Group One company in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and he went on to finish a narrow second behind Oxted.

The Class 2 Handicap over 1m6f sees a decent field head to post and the stand out pick is the William Haggas trained Dhushan.

The son of Sea The Stars cost €160,000 as a foal and then a further 150,000gns as a yearling and looks to be a very talented youngster,

Dhushan was seen once as a juvenile last term, finishing second at Goodwood over a mile, showing plenty of ability.

Stepped up to 10f, on seasonal debut he was a narrow second to the talented Too Friendly at Doncaster and then when going up a further 2f he got off the mark for his career at Haydcok.

Stepping up again last time out in the Edinburgh Cup he made it back to back wins, staying the trip out well and this distance looks to suit.

Progressive player.

Next up is the Coral Challenge Handicap over a mile and Montatham at the head of the market could take some serious beating if fully tuned up.

The five year old was superb last season winning and going close in similar handicap events and having had his seasonal debut run he should be spot on for this event.

Montatham on his seasonal bow was a good third behind the smart Top Rank in the Listed Doncaster Mile which reads well.

Today he drops back into a handicap off a mark of 109 but with a handy 5lb claimer on board he essentially is only running off 104, which takes him back to his last winning mark.

Dangerous.

The feature race of the day is the Group Two Lancashire Oaks and we fancy the George Boughey trained Mystery Angel, with this experienced mare being the pick on form off the back of her last run.

She won two of her first three starts, getting off the mark on her second start at Wolverhampton and then at Newmarket on her first turf outing.

The filly was then stepped up to Group Three company over 10f and finished a fair third of eight, but after that was dropped to a mile for her last two runs and she finished second in both.

Back as a three year old she finished second on seasonal debut at Wolverhampton and then went over to France for a Listed event over 1m2f and was again runner up.

Up to 10.5 furlongs back at Saint Cloud, the heavy ground did not help her case and she could only finish fifth in another Listed eventShe was then seen back on quick ground giving a career best performance when winning the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes over 1m2f.

The filly was then seen finishing fourth in the Musidora Stakes at York behind Teona and Snowfall and off the back of that performance gave a career best last time out to finish second behind the emphatic winner Snowfall in the Group One Epsom Oaks.

On that form dropping back into a Group Two makes her one to beat, being versatile when it comes to ground.

The Listed Coral Distaff always chucks out some smart winners and this year we believe the Andrew Balding trained Auria looks a big each way player.

The three year old filly has been seen four times to date, twice as a juvenile when showing bundles of ability on debut in heavy ground at Newmarket before using that experience to get off the mark next time out at Kempton.

Saved for this season, she returned at Ascot in a good Fillies' Conditions Stakes over a mile and finished a good second behind the progressive Creative Flair who has gone on to frank the form.

Auria was last seen at Newbury when stepped up in trip to 10f for the Listed Abingdon Stakes where she finished a fair fourth on extremely quick ground.

Getting back to a slower surface will be a bonus and she still looks to have more in the tank going forward.

Big each way player at 15/2.

Another big race at Haydock on Saturday is the Class 2 Old Newton Cup Handicap over 1m4f and Grand Bazaar for John & Thady Gosden looks the best stayer to us.

The four year old was a serial winner last season over 12f at Newmarket on good ground and her seasonal debut will have put her spot on for this.

She was last seen finishing third of five on quick ground at Newmarket over todays trip and having blown the cobwebs away and only lost the race in a photo-finish, then today she should be fully tuned up.

Proven stayer who has a cracking pedigree being a son of Arc winner Golden Horse and off a mark of 97 he should go close.

The feature race of the afternoon in Britain is the Group One Coral Eclipse and Addeybb looks to be the big value in the market having been there and done that on numerous occasions.

The seven year old over a year ago went over to Australia for the first time in his career and at the back end of March 2020 became a black type winner for the first time when taking the Ranvet Stakes on his first start down under.

The big target whilst Addeybb was over there was to race in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes and on April 11th, with the rain bringing his favoured soft ground, he went on to take the contest with ease.

Coming back over to the UK, he made his seasonal debut in the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and he finished a decent second to the stand alone winner Lord North.

Haggas explained that he needed a run before heading to Ascot and was seen earlier this month when taking the Listed Doonside Cup, blowing away the cobwebs.

It looked a perfect prep run and with Magical, who beat him last year in the Group One race since winning another Group One, the form of the 2019 Champion Stakes looked superb.

Addeybb then went into the Champion Stakes looking to reverse some form and with the rain coming the gelding was an emphatic winner of the race, going on to land the third Group One of his career, seeing off a field full of top quality rivals.

This year he has been seen twice back down under, finishing a narrow second in the Group One Ranvet Stakes behind the smart Verry Elleegant.

The two met again last time out in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and he managed to reverse the form under a superb ride by Tom Marquand.

Having conquered Australia for a second time he is back in England and having swerved Royal Ascot he should be fresh for this Group One event.