There are eight horse racing fixtures taking place in the UK & Ireland on Saturday 31st May and the feature cards come from Haydock Park and York, who both host Group 3 action during their afternoon meetings. Our man Steve Chambers takes a look at both fixtures and picks out his best Saturday racing tips for Haydock and York.
2:23pm Haydock – Betfred ‘The Classic Bookmaker’ Achilles Stakes
Richard Hughes’s NO HALF MEASURES failed to land any sort of blow in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket on her comeback run, but the speedy four-year-old can bounce back to winning ways with aplomb on Saturday in the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock at 2:23pm. Fourth in the Prix de l’Abbaye at the end of last season, the Cable Bay filly showed she had bags of pace that day and having won the Group 3 Dubai World Trophy has shown she can deliver at a decent level.
She is sure to strip fitter for that Newmarket run and while she will need to improve significantly from that effort to play her part here this is arguably a much easier task. Jasour and Leovanni are two of the main market rivals, but No Half Measures can outclass her rivals here before taking her chance in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.
Saturday’s Racing’s Best Free Bets And Betting Offers
There’s some quality Flat action taking place on Saturday and we pick out some of the most eye-catching free bets and betting offers available to use at Haydock and York.
| Bookmaker | Offer |
| Sky Bet | Bet 5p Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Paddy Power | Bet £5 Get £30 in Free Bets |
| Ladbrokes | Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets |
| Bet365 | Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets |
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2:40pm York – William Hill More Top Prices Handicap
John & Sean Quinn’s JM JUNGLE has been one of the unluckiest sprinters this season, as in his two races this campaign he’s come up against the hugely impressive American Affair, who has got the better of him and was last seen finishing fifth in the Group 2 Temple Stakes. Having been beaten by that speedster at Musselburgh two outings ago, JM Jungle then chased him home at York and it’s back to Knavesmire on Saturday for the five-year-old to try and get his head in front.
He comfortably beat the rest of the field in that 5f York sprint, and he’s likely to be on the front end again for this contest and will be looking to hold on in the final furlong. With nothing of American Affair’s quality in this contest then the Quinn charge should be able to dominate proceedings and finally get that victory to his name this season.
3:15pm York – William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies’ Stakes
Term Of Endearment won this contest last season while under the stewardship of Henry De Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, but the six-year-old daughter of Sea The Moon has since switched to the yard of William Haggas and is the mount of Tom Marquand. Sure to be respected here, she could face a lively adversary in the shape of SCENIC, who was second on her comeback run at Goodwood last time out.
Ed Walker’s mare was beaten by Shaha that day on the south coast, but certainly made a promising comeback run and this Group 3 level certainly looks within her capabilities. A winner of the Galtres Stakes on the last visit to York, Scenic steps back up in trip slight, but having finished fourth in the Park Hill Stakes over further last season then she certainly should see out the trip and land the spoils.
3:33pm Haydock – Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes
A former Lockinge Stakes winner, Audience is entitled to be well fancied for the Group 1 John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock at 3:33pm, but the proven multiple Group winner will face some cracking rivals in a thrilling renewal of this contest and the one that stands out is KINROSS, who looks for more big success at the age of eight.
With wins in Group 1 and Group 2 company, Ralph Beckett’s legendary son of Kingman has contested some of the premier 6f and 7f races and he showed when winning the Park Stakes at Doncaster last September that the fire still burns bright. He will have to give weight away to all his rivals here, which is far from ideal, but he’s undoubtedly one of the class acts of the race and is worth taking a chance on. He is likely to be using this as a stepping stone to Royal Ascot, but he’s sure to be flying home late on and could well land the prize.
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