Haydock & Newmarket… Saturday 12th August
Saturday’s action in the UK comes from Haydock, Ascot and Newmarket. With so much uncertainty over the Jockey’s in the Shergar Cup at Ascot, our team have decided to focus on the pattern races from Haydock and Newmarket instead, their 3 selections can be found below.
Haydock
3:00 Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes (Group 3)
MIDNIGHT MILE
If Al Aasy turns up in the same form that he showed when winning at Newbury last time then he will be a tough horse to beat, but he isn’t the most reliable and is worth taking on at the prices. Midnight Mile makes the most appeal. She has won 3 of her 6 career starts and if we forgive her poor showing in what looked to be a very strong renewal of the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, she is the most progressive runner in the race. She returned to form last month when she won the Listed Lyric Fillies’ Stakes at York, coming with a sustained effort to get on top in the final furlong and win eased down. That race was won in a time just 0.56s above the standard and in similar conditions, she looks sure to run well. As a 3-year-old Filly she will receive 11lbs from Al Aasy and that should be more than enough to bridge the gap between them under Oisin Orr.
4:10 British Stallion Studs EBF Dick Hern Stakes (Listed Race)
Bet Here
SPARKS FLY
Plenty of these horses have been tried and come up short in Pattern company so we will take another chance with Sparks Fly. She completed an incredible 6-timer when winning at Ayr last month and is best forgiven her poor showing at York last time when she did far too much in front and wasn’t able to maintain the gallop in the closing stages. The time of that race was just 0.56s outside of the course standard and so it was perhaps not surprising that she faded in the closing stages but the bigger field here and the drying ground should make it an easier task. Laura Pearson has been onboard for 4 of her 6 victories in 2023 and has a great relationship with the Filly. She has a 16% strike rate when riding for David Loughnane in the last 5-years and backing every runner when the pair team up yields a very healthy level stakes profit of +€58.73. With a useful weight for age allowance, she is good value to at least hit the frame.
Newmarket
3:40 Molson Coors Sweet Solera Stakes (Group 3)
WILD GODDESS
Although Soprano has the highest rating in this field it is hard to say that she is progressing and so it will be no surprise to see one of the Novice wins improve past her. Top of that list would be the Charlie Appleby trained Wild Goddess. She broke her maiden tag at the second time of asking over this course and distance last month, powering away to win by 4-lengths from the Cheveley Park pair of Summit and Poutchek. That win came in a decent time of 1:25.71, but perhaps more significantly it came at a time when the Appleby yard were struggling for form. Her Dam, Grecian Light, finished 2nd in this race in 2016 and as a daughter of Camelot, she is certainly bred to appreciate the stiff finish on the July course and looks likely to improve with racing, as she showed last time. With Fallen Angel likely to give her a lead and a strong pace to track, this contest should setup perfectly for her and she rates one of the most likely Fillies to improve in this field.
