Saturday’s ITV Racing Tips from Sandown and Haydock

1:50 Sandown

The 1:50 race is the Coral Charge, a 5f dash for the sprinters. The sprint track appears to be a little softer than the main track and it’s worth monitoring.

The one I like here though is CAME FROM THE DARK (7/2) who is a horse that looks to have really improved this season. He needed his comeback run where he finished third before improving for that effort to win at Newbury picking up well of a slow pace. He was an unlucky second last time out behind the reposing Lazuli but I expect him to reverse that today. The strong pace will suit him here if he can get the breaks.

 

2:05 Haydock

The 2:05 race is a 1m6f handicap full of unexposed sorts who will prove to be better than their current handicap mark.

The one I like is DHUSHAN NAP (10/3) who won on handicap debut last time out at Musselburgh. That looked like a competitive little race and the way he finished that contest suggests this extra 2f could well bring out further improvement. Trainer William Haggas continues in fine fettle and he’s very good at bringing these types of horses on.

 

2:25 Sandown

The 2:25 race is a 1m handicap known as the Coral Challenge. It’s a wide-open renewal and market movers should be noted.

However, the one for me at this stage is BEAT LE BON EW (12/1) who is well suited by this type of race and has no ground concerns. He ran a blinder at Royal Ascot finishing 5th in the Royal Hunt Cup and he has won off higher marks in the past which suggests he’s more than capable of giving it a bold display given the conditions and recent form.

 

2:40 Haydock

The 2:40 race is the Lancashire Oaks, a Group 2 contest for the fillies and mares over the 1m4f trip. It looks a decent renewal of the race as the youngsters take on their elders.

The one for me is MYSTERY ANGEL (11/2) who gets a nice weight for age allowance here off the market leader. She’s had a very good season and her second behind Snowfall in the Oaks was obviously a decent effort. I think she’ll get her own way in front and prove tough to pass.

 

3:00 Sandown

The Coral Distaff is up next, another 1m handicap for us to get stuck into. This time for the fillies and Statement heads the market.

The one for me is AURIA NB (13/2) for the red hot combination of Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy. This half-sister to two Group 1 winners has been slightly disappointed in her last two efforts but I think she’ll be better suited to a race of this nature where there is plenty of runners and the pace will be true. I think it’s interesting that Balding sends her for this and there has been a little bit of money knocking round for her already which is significant.

 

3:15 Haydock

Our final race for Haydock is the Old Newton Cup, a handicap over 1m4f. It’s wide open as usual and plenty of plot horses are likely to feature in the line-up.

The one I like is WIN O’CLOCK EW (16/1). A horse that has this type of race in him and he’ll enjoy the soft ground here if the forecast is right. He is capable off this mark of 102 and the Roger Charlton team have hit form recently so he’s my each way play in a wide open renewal.

 

3:35 Sandown

The finale is the Group 1, Coral Eclipse over 1m2f. Only 4 runners go to post buts is 4 classy runners who are all capable of winning.

Im going to chance the rank outsider at huge prices EL DRAMA (33/1). This race could get tactical and he is arguably the quickest horse in the race. He was an impressive winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester two starts back and he had excuses in the French Derby last time out. I’m happy to draw a line through that effort and hopefully he can return to the earlier promise and run a huge race at a huge price.

 

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