ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Selections from Haydock and Kempton
Another busy Saturday is upon us and the ITV Racing cameras will be in attendance at Ascot, Haydock and Kempton to bring racing fans a feast of quality flat action. Billy Grimshaw is on hand to provide us with a few to back...
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13:15 Haydock - Superior Mile Stakes
A nice and early start for ITV's coverage comes from Haydock on Sprint Cup day and this first race, the Superior Mile, is a phenomenal way to kick things off. If the ground turns soft - the forecast suggests it won't - then I'll be cashing out my bet and backing favourite Cicero's Gift, however with good the expected surface I'm willing to take on the market leader as we have seen so far in his lightly raced career he is much happier with cut in the ground.
The horse I'll be backing to beat him is one of the expected pace angles, but is not Holloway Boy who I have gone off sharply this season. He looks like a horse allergic to coming home with his head in front (backers you're welcome for his easy victory!) and I think he will lose both the race and the battle to be the leader. The horse who should lead them all a merry dance and could well go wire to wire is PRAGUE, who has confirmed stamina over further and has a tongue tie on for the first time which could make a lot of difference.
He was a one time Ballydoyle inmate but never saw the track there, but he's shown himself to be smart since moving to Dylan Cunha. He may have finished fourth and fifth on his last two outings since winning his maiden in taking style, but in both races he has looked to be a pacey type before the stamina tanks just started to dip once he passed a mile. Running over a mile here could be the key to him and in a winnable race, he is the unexposed one who could improve past them all.
14:35 Kempton - September Stakes
The high class Hamish is in here and for some his lofty rating will mean it is an open and shut case, he should win. The eight year old was a model of consistency last season, racking up a five timer, before this season running a blinder for second place in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. He is a veteran now and perhaps age caught up with him last time out when flopping at Newmarket, however his trainer has given him a break before sending him here and we know he handles the surface with Tom Marquand in the saddle.
I was alarmed enough by that Newmarket run to look elsewhere however and with the statistics showing John Gosden's phenomenal record in this race over the last few years (winning four of the last six) I am siding with LION'S PRIDE. He is another that needs forgiving for some lacklustre efforts this season, but they can be excused as he is a far worse horse on turf than on the all-weather. He has won twice at Kempton in his career thus far and both wins have been franked, particulalrly by the globetrotting Middle Earth.
Gosden often uses this race as a springboard to a profitable late season campaign for this type of horse and I think the team will have Lion's Pride primed for a huge run. I expect him to go off favourite and to take a lot of stopping.
15:35 Haydock - Sprint Cup
Billy has penned a full preview of the big race of the day at Haydock, the Sprint Cup, and has nailed his colours to the mast. Read below to see his reasoning behind backing ELITE STATUS...