15:50 Haydock

Saturday 29 September 2018

All13:3014:0514:4015:1515:5016:2517:00

smarkets.com Handicap

Off time: 15:52 | Winning time: 1m 13.28s

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Selected odds by:

(2)

The Daley Express⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: K Shoemark| T: R Harris| OR: 88| D

25/1

Likely to appreciate some give underfoot (soft and heavy ground winner), but his recent performances suggest that he's a fraction high in the weights; 2lb above his win at Bath in May (5½f, good).

Form: 215607

(8)

Calder Prince^t²²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-6| J: Patrick Pilley⁽³⁾| T: Tom Dascombe| OR: 87| BF| C| D

10/1

Returning from a break when fading inside the final furlong (fourth of eight to Cold Stare) over 7f here earlier this month; drop in trip a positive move (despite both of his previous course wins coming over 7f-1m); second start since wind surgery.

Form: 155054

(15)

Arcavallo^p²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Callum Rodriguez| T: M Dods| OR: 88| D

40/1

7lb higher than when comfortably seeing off Full Intention (by over 3L) at Pontefract (6f) in August; latest run best ignored (dived right leaving the stalls); plenty of evidence which suggests that good to soft (worse unknown) isn't problematic.

Form: 2-75210

(7)

Dark Power^t⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: A Kirby| T: C G Cox| OR: 86| D

5/1

Three-time winner as a 3yo in 2017 (all over 6f on good to soft); relatively light campaign in 2018, but has produced a couple of fair efforts lately, including when a dead-heating third at Windsor (6f, good to firm) last month.

Form: 187-838

(5)

Big Les²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Jamie Gormley⁽³⁾| T: Karen McLintock| OR: 85| D

15/2

Three-time 6f winner with a thoroughly honest and willing attitude; raised 3lb for his neck beating of Soldier's Minute (6f, good to soft) at York; handles most conditions and could possibly be involved.

Form: 5-13471

(16)

Lord Oberon¹⁶²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: C Lee⁽³⁾| T: K R Burke| OR: 85| D

13/2

Runner-up to the now 97-rated Qaysar on his sole start on turf at Newbury (7f, good to soft) in April; off since, but handed a 4lb rise in the weights; 2-3 on the AW previously (6f-7f); interesting and unexposed type.

Form: 1412

(1)

Youkan²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: Harry Bentley| T: W S Kittow| OR: 84| C

14/1

Hasn't seen too much competitive action, and was well beaten on his sole previous attempt at 6f; however, is a dual 5f scorer, including on soft ground at this track recently (won going away); up 5lb; reasonable chance if staying 6f.

Form: 1-3701

(14)

Bedouin's Story²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: M M Monaghan⁽³⁾| T: S bin Suroor| OR: 84| BF

11/4

Raced only over 7f-1m2f so far, winning twice over the shortest trip at Salisbury (firm) and Thirsk (good to soft); 8lb above his last winning mark (riders 3lb claim helpful); must demonstrate his effectiveness at 6f.

Form: 7-61316

(12)

Nuns Walk⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 8-13| J: Robert Dodsworth⁽⁷⁾| T: T D Easterby| OR: 80| D

9/1

Three-time winner on turf (all over 6f on good to soft), so has no issues whatsoever with these conditions; 5lb higher than when beating Maid In India by 1½L at Hamilton in August (form which has since been reversed at Pontefract).

Form: 144132

(3)

Kenny The Captain⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 8-13| J: Rachel Richardson| T: T D Easterby| OR: 80| D

14/1

Continues in a fine run of recent form, caught close home at Doncaster on his penultimate start and most latterly finished an excellent 3L fourth of 23 to Lucky Lucky Man in the Ayr Bronze Cup (6f, heavy); much respected.

Form: 559324

(11)

Signore Piccolo^p,h²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 8-11| J: David Egan| T: D Loughnane| OR: 78| C| D

50/1

2lb higher than when winning (held up; very keen early) over 5f at Salisbury in August, but could only muster a midfield finish in a Class 3 Sandown handicap since; has won over 6f in the past, but ideally must settle better.

Form: 446316

(9)

John Kirkup⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: Connor Beasley| T: M Dods| OR: 80

12/1

No win for over 13 months (5f, good to soft), but proved earlier in the season with a couple of placed efforts that a longer trip isn't problematic; finished 17th of 23 in the Ayr Bronze Cup (6f, heavy) latest.

Form: 232850

(4)

Manshood^v1²¹

Age: 5| Weight: 8-9| J: J Fanning| T: P T Midgley| OR: 76| D

10/1

Taken a while to click in 2018, but seems to be in much better form over the second half of the campaign; runner-up over C&D in August (beaten 1¾L by Fille De Reve) and consistent since; feasibly handicapped and wears a newly applied visor today.

Form: 092265

(13)

Airglow^h²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-9| J: Nathan Evans| T: M & D Easterby| OR: 78

40/1

Has risen through the ranks over 5f this summer (dual winner); 2lb higher than when beating Glamorous Rocket by a neck at Chepstow (good) in August; needs to produce more over this extra furlong, and in a stronger race.

Form: 831515

(10)

Primo's Comet²²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-8| J: Cam Hardie| T: J S Goldie| OR: 77

50/1

Capable sprinter; notched his first win on turf when pushed out for a comfortable 1¼L success at Musselburgh (5f, good) latest; 4lb rise perfectly fair, but needs to prove himself over 6f (0-1 so far) and in a stronger race; albeit, isn't dismissed.

Form: 513571

Non-Runners

(6)

Tresorier¹³

Weight: 9-4| Age: 4

T: J Feane J: Ray Dawson

Forecasts

Bedouin's Story (11/4), Dark Power (5/1), Lord Oberon (13/2), Big Les (15/2), Nuns Walk (9/1), Calder Prince (10/1), Manshood (10/1), John Kirkup (12/1), Tresorier (12/1), Kenny The Captain (14/1), Youkan (14/1), The Daley Express (25/1), Arcavallo (40/1), Airglow (40/1), Primo's Comet (50/1), Signore Piccolo (50/1)

Friday's racing should provide some potential clues regarding any perceived draw bias, but this is as competitive a sprint as you'll find anywhere across the country this weekend and will take some unravelling. Kenny The Captain (3), the newly-visored Manshood (4), and the dropped in trip dual Haydock winner Calder Prince (8) are among the older horses worth considering. However, an improving three-year-old rates as a far likelier solution. Youkan (1), Bedouin's Story (14) and Arcavallo (15) all fit this profile, with the Pontefract winner preferred of that trio, but the really interesting, unexposed option is the Karl Burke-trained LORD OBERON (16).