Best Bets for Haydock on Saturday

In terms of quality, this coming weekend is a fairly low-key one, with a couple of Group 3s and a Listed race at Haydock being the pick of it, but there is also an interesting mile and a half handicap on the same card which is priced up and I think there is a good bet to be had.

A couple of lightly-raced five-year-olds in La Yakel and Maghlaak have been put in first and second favourites and, while you have to respect the former, who could be making his seasonal reappearance, I thought the latter didn’t have many excuses in the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar last time.

One horse who did shape much better than the bare result last time, though, is the David O’Meara-trained IRON LION, and I’m keen to keep on the right side of him. He shaped well in and around some useful types before opening his account in a mile and a quarter minor event on heavy ground at Doncaster last season, but didn’t quite improve as expected on his next two starts in handicap company.

He looks an improved model this year, though, running creditably on his return and all-weather debut when finishing third at Southwell in April, and he stepped up significantly for that run when resuming winning ways back at Doncaster (mile and a half) last month, proving a BHA mark of 80 to be very lenient.

That wasn’t the deepest handicap, but he was incredibly well backed, and he could have hardly got the job done in more impressive fashion than he did, looming up on the bridle around two furlongs out and just given a little squeeze to assert away.

Iron Lion crossed the line hard held and the timefigure backed up the excellent visual impression he created, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see him again start a strong favourite at Newmarket last time.

However, that race didn’t pan out ideally for him, a little awkward leaving the stalls, and he was never in a position to challenge in a race when the 11-length winner made all of the running. His run style isn’t suited to a track like the Rowley Mile, but he did travel through that race better than most, and was beginning to move into contention when he was hampered and he had no chance after.

Haydock is slightly sharper track than Doncaster, but the return to a left-handed track with a long straight will be in the favour of Iron Lion and, given he has quite a high knee action and both of his wins have come on easy ground, the return to what should be easier ground is another plus – the current going is described as ‘good’, but they are due up to 7mm of rain on Tuesday and further showers are forecast for the remainder of the week.

This doesn’t look like it will be the deepest 0-105 handicap and, based on his Doncaster performance, Iron Lion still looks well handicapped from a mark of 88. It was frustrating last week when Sirona wasn’t declared and, as it stands, Iron Lion hasn’t a jockey booked. Danny Tudhope has been pencilled in for Wise Eagle, but he’s ridden that horse on the last eight occasions, and he hasn’t ridden Iron Lion since June last year, while David Nolan has been on board for his two wins, so hopefully they reunite on Saturday.

The Lester Piggot Fillies’ Stakes, a Group 3 over a mile and a half, is a race which William Haggas has won for the last two years, and is clearly one he will like to target now since it’s name change 12 months ago, in honour of his wife’s father.

He has just the one entry this year in the shape of SEA THEME and she has an interesting profile. She only made her debut in June of her three-year-old campaign last year, so she seemingly took a while to come to hand, but showed plenty of ability amidst greenness on her debut when finishing third to Mistral Star at Sandown.

She built on that promise as expected when opening her account in soft ground at Doncaster on her next start, justifying good support in the process, and ultimately winning with plenty in hand after it looked the well-bred runner-up was going to throw down a stern challenge entering the final furlong.

That rival gave the form a boost when winning her next start by six and a half lengths and Sea Theme also found another chunk of improvement when following up in a strong Listed contest at York on her next start.

She only prevailed narrowly on that occasion, but there was plenty to like about her attitude, hitting a high of 19.0 in running on Betfair, but finding plenty in the closing stages to run down the leader who injected plenty of pace into the race around four furlongs out.

It was also encouraging she was able to win given her lack of experience, displaying a cracking attitude, and that form has worked out well, with the runner-up and third both going on to win at Listed level since.

Sea Theme wasn’t in the same form on her final start in a Group 3 at Newmarket in September, but it is worth noting that she sweated up beforehand that day, and it is best not to judge her on that performance given her previous form is solid.

Haggas will have likely had this race circled in the calendar for a while, so she should be ready to roll on her return, and she is very much the type to develop further this season, while the ground won’t be a problem if it gets any softer, either.

Preview posted at 1320 BST on 04/06/2024

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