Haydock’s seven-race card headlines a very busy day of action in the UK and Ireland. GG have tips in all seven of the track’s contests, alongside Matchbook, with whom you can earn up to £50 in Free Bets for Royal Ascot.
Million Thanks (1.10 Haydock) 8.6 with Matchbook
Quite a few look capable of winning this. Ascending was unlucky not to be closer at Goodwood last time, while Spacer did well to finish as high as he did at Chester most recently.
However, there are three who come in with only three runs under their belts. One of those, MILLION THANKS makes the most appeal, as one who could be vastly better than his current mark. He will have to put everything together first though.
He finished second and third in two races as a juvenile. Wind surgery was sought afterwards, but did enough of a trick to get him off the mark, as he won at Musselburgh at the start of this month. He did a lot wrong under Kevin Stott that day, but was on top by more than his winning margin of a neck by the line.
Strongly giving the impression that there was more in the locker, there is a chance that a tougher race such as this one may bring that out. His second run since wind surgery further gives hope for improvement.
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Ainsdale (1.45 Haydock) 9.2 with Matchbook
Dragon Symbol will be a warm favourite for this on his second run for Roger Varian. That said, the grey has now been well below his best on his last two runs and is worth taking on at these prices.
There are also a fair number of risks attached to AINSDALE, but the five-year-old is tempting to cause an upset at his current odds. He will be having his first run for Julie Camacho, whose speciality in recent years have been sprinters right out of this boy’s mould.
He may have last won in October 2020, but ran very well for the majority of last season. Indeed, he finished second over course and distance in the Group 2 Temple Stakes last season, having also gone well here in the past.
He has not always been at his best when fresh, though his best run after a layoff was at this track and trip. A big run is very plausible.
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Forza Orta (2.20 Haydock) 5.2 with Matchbook
Two wins from nine starts does not sound like an outstanding return, but FORZA ORTA has been beyond consistent for Kevin Ryan.
He has finished in the top three whenever he has met a racetrack, having raced over every trip between 1m-1m5f. This season, he is already up 8lb, after a third-placed effort at Thirsk preceded a win at Hamilton over the furthest distance he has faced.
His most recent run was probably his best, however, as he finished second to the very progressive Gaasee at York over this trip of 1m4f. The rest of his opponents were two lengths or more behind him and so a 3lb rise does not look overly harsh.
He would be safer in a placepot or at an each-way price, but he also has very realistic prospects of winning this. He is 6lb better off with Mahrajaan for their meeting last term when only beaten 1¼ lengths too.
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Sea La Rosa (2.55 Haydock) 3.5 with Matchbook
William Haggas, Tom Marquand and Sunderland Holdings can continue their fine run of form with SEA LA ROSA, who was a marked improver last season.
The daughter of Sea The Stars has spent her entire career inside the top four of her races and won four times last season. She alternated between wins and close calls, being second twice and third in her other three races in 2021.
She may have started in handicaps, but gradually made her way up to Pattern level. She was only third in a Group 3 at Newmarket in September, but after a tiny step down into Listed company, she demonstrated her best form yet, winning by 4½ lengths at Lingfield over 1m5f.
She is a very thorough stayer and if she improves in line with some others in her yard in the last month, she will be right in the thick of things back up into a Group 3.
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Kinross (3.30 Haydock) 4.1 with Matchbook
The steadiest bet for the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes is KINROSS, who is very much a 7f expert.
There are others of that type in this field, notably Happy Power, but Kinross is the only horse to have won over course and distance, having done so in this race a year ago. He subsequently followed up in Group 2 company, winning the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood from future Group 1 winner Creative Force.
That represents the highest level of form in this race and though he could not match that in Group 1 races afterwards, he had excuses each time. Two of those were over slightly shorter than ideal and he was fourth in a very strong, big-field renewal of the Prix De La Foret on Arc weekend at Longchamp.
Kinross goes well fresh, doing so in this race 12 months ago. A little rain would help his chances even further, but a repeat of last year’s run would see him go very close again.
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Alrehb (4.05 Haydock) SP
Nationwide is understandably the early favourite for this handicap after a hat-trick of all-weather wins for John Butler recently.
However, backing a horse having his first ever run on turf in a warm race such as this feels overly risky when there is not the security of decent each-way value. ALREHB looks a better bet for the quadruple-named pair of Kevin Philippart De Foy and Benoit De La Sayette.
He is another who made hay on the all-weather, winning twice at Wolverhampton and Lingfield before the end of March. However, crucially, he has already made the transition to grass, almost succeeding at Haydock over 7f in April.
That effort came behind Boardman, form which now looks very strong with that horse having won again since. He may have been disappointing next time out at Ascot, but that was in the 27-runner Victoria Cup and he can be forgiven that. Back to Haydock, and down in trip to 6f, he is an intriguing play against the favourite.
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Notions (4.40 Haydock) SP
The form of the Haggas/Marquand combination makes Vintage Choice the early market leader here, but NOTIONS has the form with more depth.
On a day at Goodwood where most of the winners either “led” or were “close up” according to the race reports, Notions was notable for having come from off the pace to land a 7f handicap at the track at the end of April. He also did so having overcome substantial trouble in running that would have put paid to most horses’ chances.
Instead, Notions swooped late under Saffie Osborne, who continues to take off 3lb here. The horse has only gone up 2lb in the handicap for that success as well.
The Cookstown Cafu is another to have been described as doing “well in the circumstances” in his last start, and can also make his presence felt.
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