This Guy showed more at Haydock than he did on debut when being backed into 6/4F, but it wasn't good enough.
The two Godolphin horses dominated the race, finishing first and second, but not in the order you'd have expected. Buick's ride was runner-up, and David Probert managed to pick up a spare for Charlie Appleby and a win in the process.
Maw Lam 9/1 (0.5pt EW) – Haydock 3.00
If the same Unequal Love turns up that ran in the Group 1 sprint last year, she'll be extremely tough to beat. But, she has only produced a run to that level on two occasions, so on that basis, I think you've got to take her on.
Some of William Haggas' horses have needed the run, and I think that was the case for Unequal Love last time out, so if you are a backer of her today, I wouldn't worry about her start 20 days ago.
This race is going to be on good to firm and it will be run at a strong pace, courtesy of headstrong front runner, Frost At Dawn. When I thought about how this race was going to play out, I thought having a strong finisher at the trip would be ideal, and I fell on Maw Lam, who will have to have a career best to win this, but I think that is possible.
Adrian Nicholls' three-year-old had a productive season as a juvenile. She was placed at Royal Ascot and has been placed in further Class 1 races since. The run at Ayr towards the back end of the year in a Group 3 was one of the runs which sold me that today's race could be run to suit. She was held up off a strong pace, made good ground, but didn't manage to beat the Haggas winner, which could sound very similar come 3:05 pm today. However, the winner that day looked like a solid sprinter to follow for this year, and the runner-up has run well in sprints in Ireland since.
My selection has run twice this year, once over 7f, where she looked in need of the run, but ran with credit, and then last time over 5.5f at Cork. She didn't get the run of the race last time out. She was under pressure, but was still staying on, but then got blocked and had to violently switch left, which left her with no chance of getting close. In those circumstances, she ran quite well.
Since she is a younger horse in the lineup, she will receive weight from the older horses, which could be crucial.
Mr Hampstead 7/2 (2pt) – Goodwood 2.40
It's a strange path that Mr Hampstead has taken in his seven-race career so far, and prior to last time out, it is surprising that Amo Racing didn't get rid of him, but fair play to connections, they've stuck with him and he is starting to repay them.
This horse must've been showing a lot at home, as when he was trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis, he was put in the Derby, and then put in the Queens Vase at Royal Ascot, which is a Group 2. Unsurprisingly, he was not good enough to win or get close, but to be sticking him in those races shows that he had ability, as they wouldn't be wasting time and money supplementing him for races like that.
Since hen, he has moved to Raphael E Freire, his third trainer, and last time out over 2m at Goodwood on good ground it all came together and he managed to run out a very easy winner. For that easy victory, he has gone up 7lbs in the handicap, which makes life more difficult for today, but I think this could be the start of a winning sequence for this horse, and it would not surprise me if he returns to the marathon race at Glorious Goodwood.
GambleAware