Warren Fentiman definitely didn't get the memo for his ride on Sax Appeal.
He's still a very young jockey, so mistakes do happen. However, being on a horse who stays half a furlong further than yesterday's trip meant that he had to go a strong pace. He did the opposite, set a slow gallop off an uncontested lead and then turned it into a sprint. That was never going to work.
Thapa VC, well, it was a Jim Crowley masterclass. Never got the horse into contention, and the horse was virtually the last off the bridle.
Never Let Go 4/1 (1pt)- Haydock 2.25
I thought this was quite an easy race to pick out a clear fancy. Never Let Go has been a big improver this year for Ed Walker, and has progressed from being a 76 rates horse at the start of the season, to now being a Royal Ascot winner.
Prior to her Royal Ascot win, she finished in the places in a Goodwood Listed race. That was evidently not a fluke, despite outrunning her odds, as she won nicely in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot. The form of the Royal Ascot victory has started to work out nicely. The third-place horse has since won in a Group 3 at Glorious Goodwood in a dead-heat, but produced a good racing post rating. The runner-up at Royal Ascot was second to the smart-looking Blue Bolt in a Listed race, and has since run a respectable race in an Ascot Group 3.
Ed Walker's three-year-olds this season have been very impressive. He has managed to turn a lot of them from handicappers into Class 1 horses, and Never Let Go is live proof of that. Kieran Shoemark has sided with her over the older stablemate, which is a positive sign. The older horses have some good pieces of form, but the majority of that is from a while ago. I think Never Let Go will go off as a strong favourite, as she is the one they all have to beat.
Hawksbill 5/1 (1pt) – Haydock 5.20
Going for the younger horses in races like this continues to put egg on my face, but I am going back in with Hawksbill.
Other than Billyb, who has been in good form on his last two runs, the older horses don't really stand out as strong candidates for this race. Pearl Eye could be competitive if bouncing back to form, being a three time course winner, but he has a lot to prove. Hawksbill can still be on a low handicap mark if he learns to settle. Last time out at Ascot, he was too keen in the early stages, and that definitely meant he paid the price in the later stages of the race. Also, I don't think Ascot is a track which plays to his strengths, as he was towards the rear at Royal Ascot.
Prior to his two Ascot runs, he had some good form, which makes him a big player in today's race. He was second to Amiloc, but was too keen in the early stages of that race as well. The second on seasonal reappearance to Glittering Legend is solid form too. As a juvenile, he won over today's C&D and was then entered into some strong races. He ran with credit in a Listed race over today's C&D, which saw him finish fourth of eight. The form of that race has been boosted by the winner (Luther, Group 1 placed and Group 2 winner this season), andthe runner-up (Group 2 winner this season).
Richard Kingscote is booked, which is a positive booking around Haydock.
GambleAware