Former Talksport man Charlie McCann marks your card with six to follow on Saturday at Haydock and Ascot. View selections below
A wonderful weekend of racing but rain is forecast at Haydock which tempers confidence in what is a wonderful mixed card at the Lancashire track; the opening 3m Handicap Hurdle is a cracker but with rain forecast on watered ground it is hard for punters as the forecast good ground could turn soft by post time!
Jetson (1.50) is guaranteed to go in the ground if the forecast rain arrives and the Irish raider although not match for Battle Group at Aintree last month is 19lbs better off excluding leading amateur Nick de Boinville’s 5lb claim.
Hanseatic (2.25) looked to be beaten by a mix of keenness and greenness at Windsor on only his second start on his reappearance and can go one better despite being 3lbs higher in the weights. William Buick keeps the mount and this son of Galileo should go in the ground although his breeding on the dam’s side would suggest good ground would be ideal.
Burwaaz (3.00) is one for whom soft ground would be a negative but on the forecast good to firm ground he must be the selection having run with promise returning from a long break ay Leicester over a trip (7f) which taxed his stamina; dropped back in distance he would take all the beating on a decent surface as he is entitled to come on for that Leicester effort his first start in 11 months.
There is a cracking 2m 4f handicap chase where King Of The Knight (4.40) can go well for Harry Fry although once again soft ground would be a major concern. The recommendation travelled like a class act at Exeter last time although he didn’t find as much as one might have hoped for and lost out to Theatrical Star. This is a £60,000 race and there are any number of dangers including the recent C&D winner Dare Me and Heez A Crackerwho will certainly appreciate any significant rain.
At Ascot Thomas Chippendale may have race fitness on his side against last year’s Derby runner up Main Sequence (2.40) but the latter must be the selection with the David Lanigan yard just beginning to hit top gear (two wins from their last three runners). Thomas Chippendale did a very good piece of work on Wednesday but I think Main Sequence could become a top-class 4-y-old and he gets the nod.
Lightning Cloud ran an eye-catching trial for the Victoria Cup at Thirsk on his reappearance from a poor draw and, although 2lb higher, he must go close at a track where he has run so well in the past. Preference, however, is for Born To Surprise (3.50) who I have always thought had a big race in him for Michael Bell and Hayley Turner and was so impressive first time out at Doncaster last season.
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Be lucky
Charlie
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