Daily Star Chief Tipster Jason Heavey has marked your card for the weekend racing, with heavy ground expected to play a key role at Haydock on Saturday. He also highlights two at Kempton and a double at Ascot, along with several future winners to keep an eye on.
Haydock: Mud-Lovers to Thrive
The ground will be like a quagmire at Haydock on Saturday so mud-lovers can be expected to thrive. Among them is IN THE BREEZE (3.05, nap), who is trading at 28-1 at the time of writing in the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup. He will relish the conditions and looks criminally overpriced, although I would expect his price to contract.
DANCING GEMINI (1.25) is another who should not be fazed by the conditions and he gets the vote in the Group Three Betfair Backs Opinions Superior Mile under Will Buick. And LOPEO (2.30) will be suited by the conditions in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap. The son of Lope De Vega has won on heavy ground.
The Betfair Sprint Cup is the big race but it has cut up disappointingly for a Group One, probably due to the ground. I can’t see past ALMERAQ (3.40), who should handle the ground better than most.
Kempton: Gethin to Beat Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill has it all to do in the William Hill September Stakes at Kempton as he puts his unbeaten Flat record on the line in the Group Three event. He is rated 16lb inferior to GETHIN (2.50) – who was beaten a neck by the brilliant Ombudsman in May – which should prove too much for Nick Henderson’s nine-year-old.
I also like THE LIFFEY (2.20) in the William Hill London Mile Series Final Handicap at the Sunbury track. The ex-Irish horse has run two crackers since switching to Hayley Burton’s yard.
Ascot: Two Tribes and Heyzoom
At Ascot, TWO TRIBES (1.40, trb) can slay his rivals as he goes to war yet again at his favourite track. Richard Spencer’s five-year-old won a big handicap at Ascot last summer and has posted several decent efforts at the track since. He tackles the Schweppes Handicap at the Berkshire course – one of nine races live on ITV – and with Saffie Osborne doing the steering they look a fair bet at around 6-1 to finish in the money.
The in-form rider can complete a double on HEYZOOM (2.10) in the tote.co.uk Money Back 2nd Handicap. Owen Burrows’ progressive three-year-old was a solid fourth at the royal meeting to Enceladus when he was last sighted. In similar conditions, he can get the job done off a 5lb higher mark and is a horse who could do better as a four-year-old.
Future Winners to Follow
SCENIC ROUTE ran a blinder on his debut at Thirsk and he should be hard to beat at York on Sunday. SPYCATCHER returns from a layoff at the Knavesmire (Sunday) and will relish the ease in the ground. THE ANTHONY GOVER is a winner waiting to happen and Billy Loughnane is jocked up on him on Monday at Wolverhampton if the horse takes up his entry. VALVANO bounced back to form at Southwell recently – look out for him wherever he runs next. He is entered at Leopardstown next weekend.
At Ripon on Tuesday, two horses really caught the eye. THE RESDEV ROMAN cruised to victory and won easing down under Jo Mason, and it will be interesting to see what sort of handicap mark she is given. KIND TOUCH was a shade unlucky not to win a competitive handicap. He was chinned by Yes I'm Mali and threw the race away by edging right in the closing stages. Watch them both next time.
