Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Haydock and Goodwood on Saturday. View selections below.
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COMPLETION (2.50) is a typical William Haggas improver and the three-year-old can lift the Amix Silver Bowl at Haydock.
This is one of the early-season’s most competitive mile handicaps and Completion beat a bang in-form rival, Poet’s Prince, in a tight finish at Redcar on fast ground. Mark Johnston’s runner-up won next time at Chelmsford City and ran a stormer at York when chasing home stablemate Communique, conceding 6lb. Completion hasn’t been unduly clobbered by the handicapper and only a lot of rain would dampen enthusiasm.
Super sprinter BATTAASH (4.00) makes his seasonal reappearance in the Group 2 Temple Stakes and he brought the curtain down on a terrific 2017 by thumping Marsha four lengths in the Prix de L’Abbaye at Chantilly. Charlie Hills has banged in a few winners lately so the stable is in good enough form for Battaash to launch his season in style from a pitch under the stands’ rail.
The Sandy Lane Stakes, another Group 2 contest, is very competitive with JAMES GARFIELD (3.25) just favoured to confirm last year’s form with Invincible Army.
James Garfield had less than a length in hand of his old rival when landing the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury last September and kicked off the season with a game victory in the Greenham Stakes. He then finished seventh to Saxon Warrior in the 2000 Guineas but this trip is more suitable.
At Goodwood, AUTOCRATIC (1.55) returns to his best trip after getting a distant view of Defoe on soft ground and should go well in the Netbet Festival Stakes. This time last year he was busy mopping up the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown and he seems fully recovered from a subsequent pelvic injury.
The Haggas-trained Society Power bids for a five-timer in the following Class 2 handicap over seven furlongs and is a must for any short-list, despite a 6lb rise for his latest success at Ascot.
Fourth horse Fennaan has a chance of overturning that form on today’s revised terms but ZAP (2.30) could be the value bet in another open affair. Richard Fahey’s representative was just denied by stablemate Clubbable at York’s Dante fixture and that appears strong form.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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