Haydock - Sat 23/5/09

[fintron]

3.10 Haydock Borderlescott is the horse that got me hooked on racing and I am a big fan. He's tough as teak and a huge credit to Robin Bastiman and the rest of his connections. Winner of the Group 1 Nunthorpe last season he has proven himself at the highest level and although he is vulnerable to younger legs, the hot sprinting star of the future - Armour Propre - has been pulled out of this race by trainer Henry Candy. Borderlescott was second to Fleeting Spirit (btn 2 l) in this race last year and is usually there or thereabouts. He is a course winner, a triple 5f winner, and doesn't mind getting his toe in. His trainer has also said he will come on for his last run. 1.62 taken TBP (Betfair). 4.15 Haydock The Galloping Shoe appeared to 'bounce' last time out at Lingfield when 4th on only his second handicap start. Jeremy Noseda's gelding had been off the track for a year prior to his second to Light From Mars at Windsor last month, and it was always a gamble backing him last time out with this in mind. However, he looked well handicapped and I will give him another chance here with that last run out of the way. The form of his Windsor second is working out ever so well with the winner, Light From Mars, finishing a neck second off a 5 lb higher mark in a stronger race next time out, whilst the head third won next time out (also in a higher grade than this and off a higher mark than 80). It may be noteworthy that Noseda has his runner entered in a Carlisle handicap on Monday. Presumably they plan to turn him out under a penalty and stay one step ahead of the handicapper, starting with a win here. The sticking point is potentially the heavy ground, but he did win with some cut in the ground on his debut to hint he is worth a punt here. 4.50 Haydock Alanbrooke was backed to win but narrowly missed out on his handicap debut at Newbury last week, finishing a head behind Simon Gray and second. However, that run will have sharpened him up and if he still has aspirations of lining up in the King Edward then he should be up to landing a handicap off this sort of mark. He has infact been raised 3 lbs for that last effort but is a winner on soft ground and could gain compensation here. 5.25 Haydock Eton Rifles looked all over the winner on his reappearance and handicap debut at Newcastle last until the eventual winner came from the clouds late in the day, but he was entitled to need the run and could gain compensation for Howard Johnson here off a seemingly decent mark. He was beaten by the useful Horatio Carter and The Osteopath last time out, but faces lesser opposition here now dropped in grade. Rated 79 (up 2 lbs from lto) for this, he was second to the useful Arganil in a Hamilton maiden on his second start, and hacked up in a Catterick maiden on his final start at three. Although he may ideally prefer an extra furlong or so I think he may have enough speed to scrape 6f and the softer ground here will definately be in his favour as his best form previous has come with some give in the ground.

[Samba_SamPa]

Re: Haydock - Sat 23/5/09 3.40 - FOUNDATION ROOM - W&P Won on debut last year beating a previous winner, April Pride, into a 2 1/4L 2nd place. Although April Pride hasn't won again, she has some very smart placed form behind the likes of Cuis Ghaire and Fantasia. She then followed that with a Listed 3rd behind 105-rated Icesolator. The 116-rated Finjaan was just 3/4L in front of her that day. The form of those 2 runs suggest she should be well capable of defying a mark of 88. She ran below par 3rd time up when needing the run, before showing the benefit of that run with a 6th in a valuable Sales race 2 weeks later. By Saffron Walden out of a daughter of Kris, she should be best at today's 8f trip, and did nothing to dispel those thoughts on her reappearance, when an unlucky 3rd on ground faster than ideal behind the reopposing Fareer. With the likelihood that she will improve for that reappearance, a 4lb pull with the winner, and an appreciation of the ground conditions, she can run into at least a place.