The feature race of the Haydock card is the Group 2 Temple Stakes over the minimum trip of five furlongs. Sprint King Robert Cowell saddles recent Palace House Stakes winner Goldream and he is a worthy 11/2 favourite at BetVictor given he looks to be improving all the time for a trainer who is peerless when it comes to sprinters.
Marginal preference is for Godolphin’s Pretend (3.45) who won his last three starts on the all-weather earlier in the year in the manner of a fast-improving sprinter. He has to confirm that improvement on turf and has only raced once to date on grass when he pulled hard and was well held over 7f at Meydan as a 3-year-old. The selection is 6/1 with BetVictor and he merits each way support.
Having backed Storm Rock (2.35) at 12s earlier in the week for the Silver Bowl I am slightly concerned with the prospect of drying ground and a poor draw (11 of 12) but the booking of William Buick is a plus and the selection should have won half the track over C&D last time when jockey Graham Lee was constantly denied a run.
The selection has never raced on good ground but there is nothing in his breeding to suggest he won’t be at least as effective on it and with confirmed front-runner Salateen in the line-up we should be guaranteed a true run race.
I like the booking of talented 7lb apprentice Tom Marquand for Geordie George (4.55) who has run well in both starts so far this term for John Quinn and has a cracking draw for one who can race prominently. Recent Hamilton winner Amazour looks the obvious danger given the manner of his success when he was value for much more than the three-quarters of a length he had in hand at the winning post. A 7lb rise may not prevent him doubling up.
The card opens with a decent 12f handicap and Hernandoshideawy is taken to reverse Chester form with Not Never on the revised terms; the colt didn’t look entirely happy on that unique track but still shaped with considerable promise but the nod goes to the Queen’s Fabricate (1.25) who holds an entry at Royal Ascot last month and overcame greenness to win at Salisbury last time.
At Goodwood Remote (1.45) looked a Group One horse in the making when landing the Tercentenary Stakes when last seen in June 2013 and it is surely significant that connections have persevered with the 5-year-old who is still an entire. A 700-day absence is obviously a negative but trainer John Gosden has him entered in a couple of Group 1’s later in the season and he must be showing plenty of his old dash on the Newmarket gallops.
It is a classic weekend at the Curragh and Gleneagles is impossible to oppose in the Irish 2000 Guineas and I am looking forward to seeing the reappearance of the unbeaten Brooch (3.55) for Dermot Weld in the Group 2 Lanwades Stakes. The yard believe she can make up into a Group 1 filly this term and she was brought along slowly last term to win all three starts including in Group company when last seen back in September.
At Beverley Furiant (2.40) can maintain his unbeaten record for Mark Johnston in a hot race for the Two Year Old Trophy; the form of his Musselburgh success hasn’t exactly been franked but he looked to have plenty of scope for improvement on that occasion and can follow up.
At Catterick Hurry Home Poppa (3.35) might have bumped into a very well handicapped rival when runner up midweek at Nottingham and he can go one better running off the same mark in the stayers’ handicap.
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