ITV Racing Tips: Two Selections at Haydock on Saturday

A fairly low key Saturday by horse racing standards, with Royal Ascot on the horizon, sees the ITV cameras focus on Northern England as Chester, York and Haydock are in the spotlight! Billy Grimshaw has two tips, both at Haydock, to get stuck into...

14:23 Haydock

Although horses do sometimes go at the game and never return to former glories, it can pay to be forgiving of a bad run or even a bad season on the flat and that's what I'm willing to do here in the Achille Stakes with JASOUR. There is a worry this won't be his best trip, but with his record of two wins from two when fresh I think this could be the time to catch Owen Burrows' inmate and with a wind op since we last saw him flopping at the Curragh last September, as well as obviously a long break, today could be the day.

He looked to have the world as his oyster when winning a Group 3 at Ascot last season from the back and that is the way in which I expect Jim Crowley to ride him again here. Crowley is not a jockey I am itching to back most of the times as I think he can be weak on prominent runners but with this horse being one to keep rooted to the rear of the field until the last minute, that is the sort of horse Crowley has excelled on in the past. I am expecting a strong but not crazy pace to run at in here with ownership mates Seven Questions and Democracy Dilemma probably taking them along, and given both have tapped out early of late the closers may feast.

No Half Measures heads the market and needs forgiving for flopping in the Palace House last time out, although that's doable given it was the first appearance of the season. If back to their best, Richard Hughes' horse should be bang there and the slower ground than we've had lately will also suit. Neverthless, I think Jasour is the best horse in here and with his record fresh, he has to be the bet.

15:33 Haydock

The feature race of the day sees Audience for team Gosden as the favourite and while any race he is in makes me hesitate in backing against him due to his nature to blow fields apart from the front, I do think if he is not absolutely A1 there is a chance his run style will set this up for the old stager KINROSS. It won't be easy for the veteran with a five pound penalty and a patchy record first time out, but he is classy and has run most of his best races over this trip of seven furlongs when having a real rapid pace setter to chase down. Audience certainly fits that bill!

Audience is not the only pace angle, however, as second favourite Alyanaabi for Owen Burrows won over this course and distance recently in a lesser race making all and will almost certainly be sent to the front, or as close to it as he can get, by Jim Crowley. This is another positive for Kinross to my eye as the more pace the merrier for him, as his stamina can come into play. 

It's a competitive race and I don't discount anything confidently, but I was tempted by Spycatcher most of the rest of the field after he did this column a favour winning over six last time out in the fashion of a horse who would find the extra furlong he has to tackle here a benefit not a drawback. It's Kinross for me though and hopefully he can start another busy campaign with a win.