Haydock Saturday Preview - 03/07/21

The first event of the afternoon at Haydock is the Class 2 Handicap over seven furlongs and Kimifive for Joseph Tuite should go close with this 5lb claimer on board.

He has been out of sorts recently but that has meant he has dropped down to a very respectable mark.

In August 2020 he finished a narrow second to smart sprinter Summerghand in the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood off a mark of 92 and he goes in this event off 1lb lower, and with an extra 5lb from the rider.

His first race this season was at Goodwood over 7f and he finished a fair third behind some nice horses and that set him up for a handicap on Derby day at Epsom where again he was a decent third.

Last time out he was seen finishing fifth in a bunched finish at Newmarket in a better race than this and with his current weight he looks an attractive bet.

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.

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.

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.

With no bet in the Nursery Handicap we move onto the penultimate event of the afternoon which sees a Conditions Stakes over 6f.

The horse we are siding with is the Andrew Balding trained Fivethousandtoone for King Power racing with the colt dropping back into much easier company.

Having been a smart juvenile, finishing a close second in the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury over 6f and then finishing midfield in the Dewhurst on his last start, he returned this term in a tough Group One.

He dropped back to 6f on heavy ground at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup and ran no sort of race at all with the opposition being far superior and ground too tacky.

Now back on much quicker ground and back into a Conditions Stakes, he looks a big player if bouncing back.

The final event of the afternoon is the Class 4 Handicap over five furlongs and Sir Titus is our pick with the colt going in search of a hat-trick.

The Bryan Smart trained three year old has really come into his own this term, getting off the mark on seasonal debut at Newcastle over 5f and then backing that up on turf debut at Redcar when a gritty winner.

Sir Titus is only 4lb heavier today for his latest win and getting his preferred conditions he should stay on the upward curve.