The Sunday Series continues the feat of racing served up by ITV this week. The action comes from Haydock, and Matty Sutcliffe has three tips for your bets.
3:45 Haydock – Sky Bet Build A Bet Apprentice Handicap (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) – Liseo 14/1 1pt EW 3 places
Simon & Ed Crisford have a 26% strike rate in Haydock handicaps within the last five seasons (31-8-19) and that bodes well for LISEO, who was in winning form on the all-weather when last season.
The quirky son of Lope De Vega is 0-10 on turf, but form figures in this discipline reads 3227272247 (6/10 placed) and four of those were beaten only a length or under and he’s had minimal realistic opportunities.. On the second of those occasions, he was beaten 3/4L by Godolphin’s Warren Point who’s now rated 110 before bumping into another odds on favourite at Beverley where he again finished second. Remarkably, he was second in another novice behind the 10/11F Flying Frontier, giving him 5lbs, who’s now rated 93, and then he was 3/4L second to Elnajmm despite being 15lbs worse off at the weights, who’s now rated 104 after returning with two wins class two company.
Having been on the go all last season through until this May, it is plausible to think he was in need of a rest having underperformed the last twice, but the layoff shouldn’t be no problem as he was second from a 289 day layoff last term. His record over this distance reads 323222144 so we should surely get a run for our money, and while he’s proven to carry top-weight, Fred Daly takes off a handy 5lbs. The inexperienced rider has only had nineteen starts, but he’s been in the money for seven of them, with two wins and five places, including a 27L win on Golden Shot last August and a well timed ride on a 10/1 poke in June, beating the 2/1F.
4:15 Haydock – Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Nursery Handicap (Class 4) (2yo 0-85) – Nad Alshiba Snow 13/2 1pt win
Mick Appleby has been in fantastic form of late including four wins at Glorious Goodwood and that bodes well for the chances of NAD ALSHIBA SNOW, who should find this 0-85 Nursery a lot easier than the Group Three Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Prior to Ascot, she was beaten a length by Moving Force on debut at Beverley who subsequently bumped into the Norfolk winner Shareholder and is now rated 91. She was then an eye-catcher when coming from rear to be beaten two lengths in the Hilary Needler over the same C&D, finishing a short head behind the 94 rated Aviation Time who’s acquitted herself well in listed/G3 company in three starts since, and in second that day was Maw Lam who’s rated 99 after a third in the G2 Queen Mary, before being beaten two lengths in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.
Though she remains a maiden, she arguably brings the best collateral form in this field and looks well handicapped off an opening mark of 78. Tom Marquand takes the ride and if you were to back all of his mounts for Mick Appleby you’d have a healthy return of £79.88 to a £1 stake.
5:15 Haydock – Sky Bet Request A Bet Fillies’ Handicap (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-95) – Zouky 10/1 1pt EW 3 places
Course winner ZOUKY can appreciate the return to seven furlongs here, with her record at the distance reading 125, the latter coming when beaten half a length in listed company at Ascot in October. She was also beaten two lengths by Poet Master in a strong C2 at Doncaster, who’s since climbed 25lbs in the ratings after his G2 romp at the Curragh last time out.
Though she’s winless in her last five efforts, she’s consistently produced RPR’s above her official rating which suggests she’s more than capable of returning to the winners enclosure, and she can come on for her effort at Newbury last time out. She was the only four year old in the field there, giving 11-14lbs to the three in front of her and producing the highest RPR in the race beaten only three lengths. She wasn’t helped by over-racing early on, but she travelled into the contest smoothly and wasn’t given an overly hard time by Sean Levey in the straight.
She’s unbeaten (2-2) in August and although she has top-weight to contend with again, she’s much less to find with some of the three year old’s this time around and the application of a first time tongue tie will hopefully help her to settle easier in the early proceedings and find more in the finish. There appears to be enough pace on for her to settle well in rear, and Danny Tudhope takes the ride who’s 7/31 all time for the yard (3/6 at Haydock last five seasons) and 6/23 at Haydock this season.
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