ITV Racing Tips: Three To Back At Haydock And Sandown

While the nation awaits England's quarter final clash with Switzerland at Euro 2024, racing fans have a treat to tuck into beforehand with the Eclipse at Sandown the highlight of a packed Saturday of action on ITV Racing. Billy Grimshaw has scoured the cards and picked out three to back away from the races he has written specific previews for...

13:50 Sandown - Coral Charge

It's a blink and you'll miss it start to the ITV Racing as five furlongs on the straight course at Sandown kicks things off, the Coral Charge. There is pace galore in here and as such I think the draw will be even more crucial than normal, with those low at a decided advantage.

That is not good news for favourite backers as Live In The Dream is out in stall nine. He could well blast off and not be caught, but hasn't quite looked as good this year as last and I couldn't back him in here with all the potential pitfalls.

By my reckoning eight of the ten in the field like to either lead or be prominent and that could lead to the majority of the field here going too fast too soon, thus setting things up for a closer. TWILIGHT CALLS - with the plum draw in stall one - is just the horse you want in here and Ryan Moore is just the rider you want on his back. Henry Candy has stuck some headgear on his charge for this run and it is a marked drop in class from his last outing in the King Charles III at Royal Ascot, where he ran well enough for sixth.

Moore is the best in the business for threading the needle and I'm hopeful of a big run.

14:25 Sandown - Coral Challenge

I was on Perotto in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and was happy enough with his run for third place, but that was at 25/1 and in here as 4/1 favourite he makes little appeal. This is a very competitive race, as is shown by the fact only two of the ten are double figure prices, but there is one who I believe showed plenty of zeal in the aforementioned Royal Hunt Cup and is worthy of support.

That horse is HOLLOWAY BOY, the 2022 Chesham winner who is yet to taste success since, and his fifth in the big Ascot handicap can be seriously upgraded. He was on the wrong side of the track that day and had to do plenty of work to get into the extended frame, so with a smaller field here and hopefully a fair pace he can reverse form with Perotto and be strongest at the line.

I'm expecting Port Lynas to blast off in front and it could be tough for the riders in behind to know when to try to reel him in, but Two Tempting also likes to get on with it and so the anticipated leaders shouldn't get a total freebie. There are Sandown formlines crossing aplenty with Classic, Two Tempting and Dual Identity but I'll take the Ascot form to be the stronger.

14:40 Haydock - Lancashire Oaks

Some smashing fillies have won this race down the years, none more so than the 2021 winner Alpinista who went on to win the Arc in 2022. We probably don't have a horse in here who will progress to win Europe's most prestigious race, but there are some fillies of notable talent in here who should dish up an outstanding contest.

For the same team as were represented by Alpinista, Luke Morris and Sir Mark Prescott, Tiffany heads the market and she has been an absolute victory machine of late, winning six of her last seven starts including a Group 3 eight days back up at Newcastle. She has the plum draw in one and is tactically versatile, so Luke Morris's mount should be there as things to come the boil but her price has meant I have to look elsewhere.

Queen Of The Pride won the Pinnacle Stakes here last time out and did it well, but I'm surprised to see she is double the price of Sea Theme - third in that race when blatantly needing the run. I'd fancy the Haggas filly to get much closer and perhaps turn the tables, but neither are my choice for a bet as FOREST FAIRY is at the time of writing a bigger price than both, which to me makes no sense at all.

Her form has been seriously franked since she was last sighted winning the Cheshire Oaks from Port Fairy, with that filly going on to win the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, and while this could be a tough task against older more battle hardened types she looked to relish a battle last time out at Chester and at 8/1 or bigger she is a fantastic each-way play. Ground should be no bother and I'm willing to put a line through her Oaks disappointment at Epsom as plenty of high class horses have flopped there in the past.