Newmarket trainer William Haggas is enjoying a phenomenal start to this year’s flat season and currently has his string operating at a staggering 43% strike rate. After completing an across the card four-timer at Newbury and Thirsk last Saturday, the team at Somerville Lodge will bid to repeat the trick at Nottingham and Wolverhampton on Tuesday afternoon. Our expert editor has assessed each of the four runners below, alongside an exclusive promotion courtesy of bet365, which is offering £50 In Free Bets to new customers, when you sign-up and bet £10.
Irresistable – 15:10 Nottingham (Watch On Racing TV Fillies’ Handicap, 1m 2f 50y)
The yard’s first runner of the afternoon comes in Nottingham’s fifth contest on Tuesday as IRRESISTABLE bids to get off the mark at the fourth time of asking on her handicap debut.
The Dark Angel filly has yet to trouble the judge in her opening three starts for William Haggas, however, the three-year-old has shown clear signs of ability in defeat in her last couple of outings over a mile, including when filling the same position at Newmarket behind subsequent Listed winners Fonteyn and Nashwa.
Allocated a mark of 71, William Haggas’ filly lines up on Tuesday off a very workable mark and with the grey filly bred to be well suited by the step up to ten furlongs, it would come as no surprise if Irresitable sheds her maiden tag.
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Yonafis – 15:20 Wolverhampton (Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap, 1m 142y)
YONAFIS will be considered the ‘banker’ of the day by many punters on Tuesday afternoon and after recording two comfortable successes on the all-weather when last seen as a juvenile, it’s easy to see why.
After producing a smart turn of foot to win on his debut at Lingfield last November over the mile trip, Yonafis soon made it two from two with a gutsy front-running display at Chelmsford in novice company, staying on well in the closing stages to ultimately win going away at the line under jockey Tom Marquand.
The handicapper certainly hasn’t taken any chances granting him a mark of 88, however, the unbeaten colt appears to be another highly talented three-year-old at William Haggas’ disposal for the season ahead and connections will be confident the son of Golden Horn can stretch his unbeaten run to three on his seasonal reappearance.
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Foursome – 15:40 Nottingham (Bet At racingtv.com Restricted Maiden Stakes, 1m 75y)
The yard introduced a smart newcomer in Holocene at Ripon on Sunday and appears to have another well-bred filly on their hands in the shape of FOURSOME who is out of Aidan O’Brien’s seven-time Group 1 winner Highland Reel. A half-sister to useful handicapper Calvados Spirit and three-time winning stablemate Hoodwinker, Foursome is bred to excel for connections this season and sustained market support for the unraced filly on Tuesday would be significant.
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Canterbury Bell – 16:45 Nottingham (Join Racing TV Now Classified Stakes, 1m 75y)
The colours of Jon and Julia Aisbitt have been carried to victory in recent days by Group 2 Middleton Fillies’ Stakes winner Lilac Road and progressive Listed Newbury winner Tiber Flow. The owners will be confident of cheering on another winner this week as CANTERBURY BELL returns to the track following a 209-day break.
The filly appeared three times last season as a juvenile and after finishing down the field at Ascot and Nottingham in novice and maiden company over a mile, she took a major step forward and showed significant improvement when dropped back to seven furlongs at Newmarket back in October.
Second past the post on that occasion, Canterbury Bell was ultimately awarded the race in the stewards’ room after she was carried markedly left in the closing stages by Mark Johnston’s runner Silver Kitten.
With further improvement to come as a three-year-old this term, William Haggas’ lightly-raced filly will be expected to pick up where she left off last season and with the yard continuing to fire out winner after winner in recent weeks, Canterbury Bell can make a winning return on Tuesday afternoon in what appears to be a modest contest.
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