The horse racing broadcaster offers up six tips from Haydock, Beverley and the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.
The emphasis is on the sprinters in the first of two consecutive weekends at Haydock on ITV.
The 5f Group 2 Temple Stakes could see SHE’S QUALITY 14/1 (15:30 Haydock) reverse Newmarket form with Rumstar from their meeting in the Palace House. She’s Quality sat close to the blazing Democracy Dilemma that day and did well to see it out, given the pace favoured those further back. With no such trailblazer in the field on Saturday she can give a bold sight, and while a higher draw would have been preferable, Kerdos won from a low stall last year.
TASMANIA 7/1 (14:25 Haydock) could be the answer to the 1m 4f fillies’ race. The angle into this race for me was to oppose Running Lion, a horse I have never got right but whose demeanour I have never been a fan of. The options were Diamond Rain, whose promising start last season got a little derailed, and Tasmania, who was only seen once last season when flying high against the likes of Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn. I called a horse of Sir Mark’s returning on his seasonal return at Nottingham in the week in Godsend, so had run some numbers on those returning from a break. Those off absences of 150 days or more for the yard were 162/724 for an Actual/Expected ratio of 1.14 (14 per cent outperforming market expectations), and with Sir Mark there is always a plan. Third in the 2023 French Oaks when trained by Francis Graffard, she has a touch of class about her, which several of her opponents bar Diamond Rain may lack.
The focus is on the juveniles at Beverley, where ALI SHUFFLE 7/4 (14:10 Beverley) can land the four-timer in the 5f Hilary Needler. Her win here from Argentine Tango has proved really solid form with four horses winning next time out, and she also carried a penalty that day, which she doesn’t here. She has good early speed to hopefully get her across to the rail, and her yard continue to excel with their juveniles this season (11/25, A/E 1.26).
Another yard to have made a decent start with their youngsters is Andrew Balding’s (3/9, A/E 2.24). This is still a smaller sample, but is enough to give a fair degree of confidence that OLD IS GOLD 10/11 (14:25 Beverley) can win the Two Year Old Trophy. A breeze-up purchase, he clearly knew his job when travelling like the best horse at Ascot on his debut before not quite seeing things out. By Mehmas, he looks like a solid Ascot juvenile contender and if so he will have to go close to winning this.
The stable also look to have a leading chance earlier on at Beverley courtesy of TARRIANCE 1/2 (13:35 Beverley), who shaped with promise when third at Leicester behind another more fancied Juddmonte-owned runner. I called Gravitas running second at Ripon to another Balding horse, Middle Earth, where he was very weak in the market and ran extremely green. That may not have been a strong race, and while Gravitas will no doubt improve for the experience, he was so raw that he may be more of a handicap project further down the line. That would leave the way clear for a reproduction of the Leicester run to be good enough for Tarriance.
Juddmonte also have a strong hand in the Irish 2000 Guineas, where FIELD OF GOLD 1/1 (15:40 Curragh) can make up for his unlucky Newmarket defeat. With Juddmonte looking as if they are running Windlord to ensure a better gallop than in the English Guineas, it should be relatively straightforward for him to gain compensation. Rashabar appeals as the best each-way alternative at the odds, but France was the intended objective before he spiked a temperature and so this is Plan B, up against a potentially very smart rival. Clearly, the Newmarket defeat stung connections, who seem keen to ensure a Classic success for the son of Kingman.
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