Tag: William Haggas

Newbury Saturday Preview

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UK punters are spoiled for choice on Saturday with top class flat racing action at Doncaster and Newbury plus excellent National Hunt cards at Chepstow and Aintree. The going is soft at Newbury and that is certain to be a key factor on a tricky-looking card.

The opening race only has six runners but you could make a case for each of them. Lexington Times is the form pick but he has not lived up to the form of his win in a Newmarket maiden in July. He won a race that contained no fewer than eight subsequent winners. They include the high-class Latharnach, Basateen and Snoano.

He ran well enough when third to Aktabantay at Sandown but could manage only eighth behind Bond’s Girl at Doncaster last time. It is difficult to know how good Not So Sleepy might be after he quickened away from She Is No Lady on his debut. The son of Beat Hollow travelled nicely throughout in the heavy ground and that could hold him in good stead here.

Battalion has been very disappointing this season and William Haggas is resorting to the cheek pieces after he threw away his chance in the September Stakes by hanging. I was amazed when punters wanted to be on this proven soft-ground horse here in May when the going was clearly too quick for him. He has his conditions on Saturday but he still has a point to prove.

His main danger could be the Epsom Derby fifth Red Galileo, the mount of Graham Lee. He has finished fast in second at Doncaster and Newmarket and is finally learning to settle in his races. I have been very impressed with Lee’s riding this season and he will be looking to arrive late on the scene. Red Galileo just gets the vote because he seems a bit more trustworthy than Battalion.

The two-year-old fillies’ race at 2.50 looks wide open. Shagah is the form horse here having finished close up in the May Hill behind Agnes Stewart. That filly did the form no harm when second in the Dubai Fillies’ Mile last week. Shagah was fourth behind Local Time earlier this month and it may be worth taking a chance with something less exposed.

Silver Rainbow and Muffri’Ha both won impressively on their second outing. They have very similar profiles in that they both tend to pull very hard but stormed clear once given the go-ahead. It won’t be so easy in this higher grade but Muffri’Ha’s win was on softer ground and she is the selection.

Not So Sleepy 1.50 @4-1 Paddy Power

Red Galileo 2.20 @11-2 Paddy Power

Muffri’Ha 2.50 @5-1 Bet365

Racing Preview Oct 4th

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Charter (tipped at 11-2) and Telmeyd (2-1) got us off to a flying start at Ascot on Friday. Unfortunately Ryan Moore arrived a fraction late on Consign and the photograph also went against us with Marzocco.

Once again the race planners have given us an embarrassment of riches with Group race action at Ascot and Newmarket as well as day 1 of the Arc meeting. Having previewed the Arc separately, I am going to concentrate on the big races in the UK on Saturday starting with Ascot.

Muthmir has been a good friend to this column with victories at York and Doncaster this season. He has fully justified the belief that he is a potential Group class sprinter and moves up to Listed class in the opening race at 2.05. Predictably, the bookmakers are running scared after being hit by this horse in the past so he is no great value. However, rather like Tiggy Wiggy last week, there is no reason to desert him.

Prince’s Trust stands out in the big handicap and should provide a winner for Her Majesty The Queen. He hacked up at Yarmouth and his victims included Outback Traveller who won with similar ease here on Friday. The handicapper has given him a 12lb hike but Cam Hardie reduces that by 3lbs and Haggas looks to have saved him for this event.

I must also put in a word for my old friend Dungannon in the last race. He could never get to B Fifty One who flew out of stall 1 at Chester last time but this is Dungannon’s time of year. He is racing off 92, a mark that should see him back in the winner’s enclosure before the end of the season.

Over at Newmarket they are staging a couple of those big sales races. I can understand the concept to encourage people to buy at Tattersalls but the prize money dished out is quite obscene for the quality of the actual races. The first race wouldn’t be out of place at Nottingham on a Monday and yet there is £300,000 going begging.

I am going to take a chance with Invincible Gold in the 2.20 race. Strictly on the form book he shouldn’t beat some of these but I think he is a nice colt and the likes of Heartbreak Hero and Secret Brief could be over-rated. Ed Walker did us a favour with Dark Wave (tipped at 11-1 on Thursday) and he should give us a run for our money.

The same applies to Majestic Manner in the Oh So Sharp Stakes at 2.55. She caught my eye when running on well in a Windsor maiden and won nicely last time out after racing prominently. Her dam was useful and she could dent a few lofty reputations here.

Finally, I am going to go for Esoterique to win the Sun Chariot Stakes for France. Andre Fabre also runs Fintry and Guineas winner Miss France but I think Esoterique’s form is stronger.

Muthmir 2.05 Ascot @6-4 Bet365

Prince’s Trust 3.50 Ascot @11-2 BetVictor

Dungannon 5.00 Ascot @8-1 William Hill

Invincible Gold 2.20 Newmarket @12-1 Paddy Power

Majestic Manner 2.55 Newmarket @12-1 Coral

Esoterique 3.30 Newmarket @6-1 Sportingbet

Newmarket Thursday Preview

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The Cambridgeshire meeting gets under way on Thursday with the Somerville Tattersall Stakes being the main event at 3.40.

Although there are only eight runners, this looks quite an open contest. My regular readers will know that William Haggas has done us several favours this season and he sets a poser here with two runners. Mubtaghaa won a big sales race at York and had stable companion Valley Of Fire just under three lengths behind in third.

The pair meet again over a furlong further here and it’s not easy to see which will come out on top. Valley Of Fire was having only his second race and became the meat in the sandwich in the closing stages. Make It Up made all to win at Goodwood last time and looks the obvious choice to lead again here. I am going to take a chance on Azraff who impressed me with the style of his last two victories.

Marco Botti’s colt was always going best at Newmarket when accounting for Persun by two lengths and then stepped up to a mile at Newcastle. Martin Harley found himself in front far sooner than intended, simply because the horse took him there. Admittedly he did idle in the closing stages but I think a strongly run seven furlongs could see him improve again.

The opening maiden race can go to Mohatem, trained by Barry Hills and ridden by Paul Hanagan. He made his debut in the Doncaster race won by Commemorative and I like the way he stayed on that day. He clashes again with Game Pie (fourth) and Secateur (eighth) but I think he will beat them both. Hanagan was only pushing him out inside the final furlong but he stayed on nicely in fifth and should take this with normal improvement.

Sir Mark Prescott looks to have found a winning opportunity for Pallasator in the Rose Bowl at 4.15. The five-year-old is now owned by Qatar Racing but disappointed in the Irish St Leger last time. It was a muddling race and Brown Panther stole a march on his rivals in the home straight. If we ignore that run, Pallasator has major claims on his run in the Ebor when fourth under a big weight. Flying Officer could be dangerous for John Gosden but Times Up was very disappointing in the Doncaster Cup last time.

Mohatem 2.00 Newmarket @6-4 Betfair

Azraff 3.40 Newmarket @7-1 Paddy Power

Pallasator 4.15 Newmarket @13-8 BetVictor

Doncaster Thursday Preview

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The feature race on the second day of the Doncaster St Leger meeting is the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at 2.40.

There aren’t many races in the calendar for fillies over the St Leger trip and if ever a horse was crying out for this distance it must surely be Arabian Comet. She has run on determinedly in her last three races, winning at Ascot before coming agonisingly close at Goodwood and York. The daughter of Dubawi looks certain to be in the frame, especially with several of her market rivals being out of form.

Venus De Milo ran no sort of race at York last time and cannot be supported with any confidence while Seal Of Approval really needs more rain if she is to take her chance. Criteria and Silk Sari are decent fillies but I fancy Arabian Comet to gain a deserved Group 2 success.

This could be a huge day for her trainer, William Haggas. He starts with the well-fancied Gregoria in the nursery at 1.40. She raced keenly in front last time before finishing third and has to reverse the form with Mick Channon’s Persun. I believe she can do that but a bigger threat may be Secret Spirit who meets Feeling Easy on a stone better terms for a narrow defeat at Newbury earlier in the season.

Haggas then saddles Token Of Love in the Sceptre Stakes and she is clearly going the right way. I’m not sure how she managed to get beaten in handicaps at Newbury and Sandown but she was a good winner at Haydock in Listed company last time. J Wonder did us a favour when wining under a superb ride from Jimmy Fortune at Goodwood but the one to be on here could be Sir Michael Stoute’s Bragging who destroyed a big field of handicappers at York.

The next Haggas runner is Heartbreak Hero in the £300,000 sales race at 3.15. I am not sure that he has the pace for this race. The Great War represents Aidan O’Brien on a relatively quiet day for Ballydoyle and he should also go well in a wide open race.

Haggas is still not done as he saddles Ascot winner Mange All (3.45) and Flippant (4.25). I think both have definite chances but I am going to oppose them with John Gosden’s Long Cross and Luca Cumani’s Blue Waltz. Both are coming here after winning maiden races but have the potential to go on to better things.

Gregoria 1.40 @15-2 Paddy Power

Secret Spirit 1.40 @18-1 BetVictor (each-way)

Bragging 2.10 @11-4 William Hill

Arabian Comet 2.40 @4-1 Bet365

The Great War 3.15 @7-1 William Hill

Long Cross 3.45 @3-1 Bet365

Blue Waltz 4.25 @3-1 Bet365

Goodwood Tuesday Preview

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All of our selections ran well on Saturday with two winners and a place to keep us narrowly ahead on the day. The low draw system at Chester seldom lets you down and B Fifty Two (tipped at 5-1) and Dungannon (tipped each-way at 10-1) gave us a sprint 1-2.

Goodwood provides the main action on Tuesday and we have a tip for all seven races. The action kicks off at 2.20 and this looks booked for the familiar combination of Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes with Mystic Jade. She ran a race full of promise on her debut here and should appreciate the step up to a mile.

The three-year-old maiden is slightly trickier to call with the yards of Haggas, Gosden and Varian all represented. I am just siding with Soviet Courage and William Haggas as the first two pulled well clear last time he ran and that is always a good sign. Ryan Moore in the saddle is usually a good indicator that Haggas means business. Too The Stars is bred out of classic winners Sea The Stars and Finsceal Beo so she is going to be some addition to the paddocks when she breaks her maiden.

The nursery is one of the toughest races on the card but I’m sticking with Flash Fire having supported him in his maiden race last time. He may just have a little bit more scope than some of the exposed types in this race. The Conditions race can go the way of Godolphin courtesy of Good Contact. He was not particularly impressive when landing the odds last time but the Newmarket he finished second in previously was probably the best maiden race this season.

Moore will be expected to boot home Dolphin Village in the two-mile handicap after a fine run at York’s Ebor meeting but he is stepping up half a mile. I was impressed by the amount of ground Spice Fair made up last time and I think he could possibly outstay the favourite.

If Moore has already rewarded his followers by the time they come to the sprint handicap at 5.10, they will be lumping on the speedy Inciting Incident. A favourable draw and give in the ground will make him hard to beat but I just feel that Dilgura has more potential. She goes well fresh and looks better value, providing the going doesn’t deteriorate.

The last race looks like a battle between Hughes on Last Minute Lisa and Cam Hardie on Hallingham. I think Hughes may just be able to get a little more out of his mount as Hallingham can look a little reluctant at times.

2.20 Mystic Jade

2.55 Soviet Courage

3.30 Flash Fire @5-2 Bet365

4.05 Good Contact @5-2 Paddy Power

4.40 Spice Fair @9-2 Paddy Power

5.10 Dilgura @13-2 Paddy Power

5.40 Last Minute Lisa @4-1 Bet365

Doncaster Thursday Preview

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All of the leading competitors have so far stood their ground for the King George on Saturday. If the weather down south is anything like it is up here in Scotland it will be very quick ground for the weekend.

There is a decent card at Doncaster on Thursday and there are a couple of horses that interest me. The first is Richard Hannon’s Basateen in the maiden race at 6.15.

The Teofilo colt ran an encouraging first race to finish third at Newmarket on soft ground. He was not too cleanly away under Paul Hanagan and ended up having to weave his way into contention behind stablemate Lexington Times.

Both colts are highly regarded by the trainer and have some ambitious entries. Basateen has been given an entry in the 2015 Epsom Derby so you’d have to think he was capable of winning this modest maiden. The going will not have helped him on his debut and he should provide Sheikh Hamdan with another winner in a big week for the famous blue and white colours.

The same colours could make a quick return to the winner’s enclosure at 7.55 courtesy of hat-trick seeking Etaab. William Haggas has taken this filly out of a couple of valuable races because of the soft ground but that should not be a problem on Thursday. Dorraar is 7lbs better off with Etaab for just over two lengths on earlier form but the winner has improved again since.

Leaderene looks nicely weighted to follow up her eight-length Lingfield victory in the 3.15 at Yarmouth. She only has a 6lbs penalty and Joe Fanning should be able to kick for home some way from the finish on the bottom weight. The danger is probably the course specialist The Ducking Stool who must concede over a stone to Mark Johnston’s runner.

The best race of the day is the Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown. The Aga Khan’s Raydara looked very impressive last time out but so too did Marsali. With three O’Brien runners also in the field, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the winner going for the top two-year-old prizes later in the season. Raydara’s debut run when second to Words looks like proving to have been a very smart maiden and victory here would complement the winner enormously.

Leaderene 3.15 Yarmouth at 8-11 Bet365

Basateen 6.15 Doncaster

Etaab 7.55 Doncaster at 11-10 Bet365