Haydock 2.25
HAYDOCK 2.25 - Handicap Hurdle - 3 miles 1/2 Furlong - 17 run - Soft
Whilst the feature race on the Haydock card is the 5-runner Betfair Chase, a more appealing betting proposition comes in the shape of the main supporting race, The Stayers Handicap Hurdle where 17 are set to go to post and plenty of bookies are offering enhanced place terms.
This 3-mile contest was previously run over the fixed brush hurdles but, although run over conventional obstacles in recent years, it is still one of the most fiendishly competitive handicap hurdles outside of the Cheltenham Festival and has been won by some very good stayers in the past decade or so.
It is often run in testing conditions and this year looks to be no exception to that with the current going described as soft. There is a maximum field of 17 runners set to go to post with a withdrawn horse on Friday morning being replaced by the first reserve.
The weights are headed by KALASHNIKOV. This horse had an excellent record over hurdles in his novice season and finished runner-up in the 2018 Supreme Novice Hurdle. That was actually his last run over the smaller obstacles as he has since embarked on a chasing career. Whilst he has never quite hit the heights he did over hurdles, he is rated 6lbs higher in that discipline and does have a decent record. It would be a record that was even better if not for his last two outings at the beginning of this year when he was found to have bled on both starts. He has not raced since February, and was given wind surgery in late summer, with connections bringing him back over hurdles here and sending him up in trip. He has run over 2 ½ miles over fences but there has to be a question mark about this extra distance for him. If he does see out the trip, however, this 2018 Betfair Hurdle winner could be a big player in ground conditions that clearly suit.
Alongside KALASHNIKOV, the other graded performer in the field is WHOLESTONE. It seems like this 9 year-old has been around for ever and he has run some very creditable races over hurdles over the years before, belatedly, trying his hand at chasing last season. He returned to the smaller obstacles last month, at Wetherby, but produced a very flat performance and was well beaten. He will need to show a marked improvement here to land the spoils and, although he has won over 3 miles, he has often been seen to better effect over slightly shorter than this in the past.
Perhaps the most intriguing runner in the field is, Northern Ireland trainer, Ronan McNally’s THE JAM MAN. This is a horse who has progressed at a fair rate of knots in the past couple of years and he followed up a win on the flat, at York, last month by absolutely bolting up over fences in the usually competitive Troytown Chase a fortnight ago. He finished well down the field in The Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham in March (and burst a blood vessel into the bargain) and competes here off a 14lb higher mark than the one he raced off at Navan last time, when taking into account the jockey’s 5lb claim. He has been well supported this week and is the current market leader. If he were to win here that would line him up for a crack at a Grade One at Ascot next month and, perhaps, another tilt at The Stayers in March, but he is yet to defy a mark anywhere near this high and, as is often the case with betting, it is all about price so he’s worth opposing at the current odds.
THE JAM MAN is one of a clutch of ‘obvious ones’ towards the head of the market with another being the other Irish raider RELEGATE. She has raced just the three times for Colm Murphy having transferred from Willie Mullins’ yard earlier this year. Winner of the 2018 Champion Bumper, she finished 4th last time and was well beaten by Sire Du Berlais at Navan. She finished 5th behind the same horse in last season’s Pertemps Final, for which she was sent off joint favourite, and competes off the same mark here. It should not be under-estimated just how much more difficult it is to travel horses over from Ireland in the present climate and, as we saw in last week’s Greatwood Hurdle, all the Irish raiders are probably worthy of a second glance as a result. The booking of Robbie Power is noteworthy as is the application of first-time cheekpieces. Her jumping does look like a bit of an achilles heel, however, to my eye.
Crossing the line just a short-head in front of RELEGATE in The Pertemps Final in March was THIRD WIND and the two meet here on exactly the same terms. He was the first English-trained horse home in the race, and that form is amongst the best on offer here, and they are set to face similar conditions here.
Hughie Morrison doesn’t train many jumpers but he does have a decent strike-rate with those that he does (19% in the past 5 seasons). This horse is yet to won in his 2 attempts at 3 miles but his run last time at Newbury looked very much like a ‘prep’ with this race in mind and he is unexposed at the trip. His form on ground officially described as soft or worse is 4 wins from 5 runs (with his 4th in The Pertemps the one exception) so he has what look like his ideal conditions here. His run in The Pertemps, plus his win in The EBF Novices Final at Sandown last year, shows that he handles a big field and, with Jonjo O’Neill Jnr taking the ride, he is definitely one for my short list.
David Pipe has an excellent record in this race and has claimed it three times since its inception in 2005. This year he relies on the remarkable MAIN FACT who has won 8 races on the bounce (5 over hurdles and 3 on the flat). He has proven to be some buy for new connections, having cost just £6,000 when bought out of his previous stable. In fact he has only been beaten once for the Pipe yard since joining from Diane Sayer nearly 18 months ago and that came on stable debut when he was 3rd. Since then he has risen 49lbs in the ratings so this represents his toughest task yet but he does hold an entry in next week’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle and has, also, been touted for The Stayers Hurdle in March so connections do think highly of him. He may not have finished improving and conditions cannot be soft enough for him so it would not be a surprise were he to continue the winning streak here. The step up in trip is an unknown but he has shaped like a stayer on previous outings and, given the record in the race, it would be folly to dismiss any runner from this yard.
It was on this card, ten years ago that Imperial Commander, as reigning Gold Cup champion, won The Betfair Chase here and his owners will be hoping to mark that anniversary with a victory from IMPERIAL ALCAZAR. This 6 year-old is lightly raced and has had just 4 starts over hurdles. Of those, he has won 2 and finished 2nd in a couple of others. At one point it did look like he had 3 wins to his name, as he was awarded a race in The Stewards Room on New Years Day at Cheltenham, but that result was over-turned on appeal subsequently. The other horse involved in that appeal was Protektorat who, of course, has won 2 chases in fine style already this season and is now rated at 154. That would indicate that the opening mark of 140 for IMPERIAL ALCAZAR could be quite generous and, whilst the aim for this season was to go chasing, it could be that connections have their eyes on landing a nice prize in a race like this, off such a mark, before going down that route. He will not be inconvenienced if the ground gets softer as his record on soft ground or worse is 21221. He is yet to be tested over this trip but has shaped like it should be within his compass and he represents a stable that continue in good form.
The younger brigade have a good record in this race and two other 6 year-olds for whom cases can be made are COLLOONEY and DOLPHIN SQUARE. The former returned with victory at Fontwell last month and, although a couple of horses have since let the form down, the 3rd home in that race has won since (although was well beaten next time out). Despite a relatively low weight here, he is 5lbs higher for that win and this is a step up in grade. In addition, the trainer is not in the best of form at present.
DOLPHIN SQUARE is a former pointer who does have winning form over 3 miles. He is very consistent, winning 4 of his 9 starts and never finishing out of the first 4. His owner normally takes the ride but is currently out with injury so Richard Johnson is in the plate. He has already had one run this season and that came earlier this month when he finished 2nd at Newbury. He finished 3 places and 3 lengths ahead of THIRD WIND that day but has gone up 2lbs in the ratings as a result. He has done most of his racing in ground better than this but he has won both of his outings on soft going. He may not be quite good enough to land this competitive heat but he is rock-solid contender for one of the enhanced places and could do so at decent odds.
HIGHLAND HUNTER ran in last year’s renewal of this race and returns here off 2lbs higher, having got in at the last minute as first reserve following the defection of a runner on Friday. He was also engaged in a novice chase at Ascot but this race was his preferred engagement so he heads here for Paul Nicholls. His outing here last year was his first for this yard, having been switched from Lucinda Russell and he duly won his next start at Musselburgh. He is another with a run under his belt this season and he finished 2nd at Ayr last month behind JUSTATENNER who re-opposes here. He is, however, 1lb worse off with his conqueror on this occasion when jockey claims are accounted for. His trainer states that he needed the run at Ayr and is “hard fit” for this race. It can be folly to dismiss runners from this yard but the trainer is yet to win this race.
Whilst a number of contenders have raced once already this season, WEST TO THE BRIDGE has had two races. He has raced over hurdles on 14 occasions in his career, so far, but, on the evidence of the two runs this season, he looks to have found a new lease of life. He ran 2nd on seasonal bow at Uttoxeter, over a trip just shy of this, and, then, won comfortably last time at Carlisle in heavy ground. The key looks to be a change of tactics. He was a regular front runner, and would often ruin his chances by racing too keenly, but, starting at Uttoxeter, they reverted to hold up tactics and seemingly got him to settle much better. He put in a very good effort that day and may have finished closer to the winner had he not made an error at the last flight. Similarly, at Carlisle, he was held up and again finished strongly (despite racing a little bit keener this time). He has gone up 7lbs for that win, which does make like tougher, but this mark may not be beyond him if he continues his improvement and Harry Skelton can get him to settle early on. He seems quite versatile in terms of ground but most of his best performances have come in genuine soft going.
Course experience can count for quite a lot in many races and it is interesting that only 4 of today’s field have even run at Haydock before. One of them is HIGHLAND HUNTER who has failed to win in any of his 3 starts here whilst the others are CLYNE, FLASHJACK and JUSTATENNER.
The first two mentioned have both won here, with CLYNE having registered victory twice. All 3 of them are currently trading at big odds but it would not surprise me should one or more of them run into one of the enhanced places. Perhaps the most likely to do so is FLASHJACK as he has winning form here from less than a year ago and has finished 3rd and 5th on his other two starts at the track. He is only 6lbs higher here than for his win last December and ran a very promising race last time when finishing 5th at Aintree on seasonal debut. He is entitled to have needed that run after 10 months off the track and his trainer took this prize last year.
A typically competitive renewal of this race and, having going through the runners, I was left with a short-list of 5 of them. DOLPHIN SQUARE looks a solid candidate and, with no disrespect to his owner and usual amateur rider, he could benefit from having a jockey of Richard Johnson’s calibre in the saddle for a race like this. He could run a very solid race, and is one I fear, but he just misses out on final selection. Also just missing out is FLASHJACK, who may out-run his odds but could find younger legs coming out on top against him. It is, in fact, three of the younger brigade that I’m going to go with and the main selection is IMPERIAL ALCAZAR for Fergal O’Brien and Paddy Brennan. He has not been seen since January but he won first time up last season and his novice form has been well advertised. He thrives on soft ground and can take advantage of this handicap mark over hurdles before going novice chasing.
THIRD WIND is another who will like the ground and his form from The Pertemps Final is strong. He will improve for his seasonal debut and has proved he stays this trip whilst, at a bigger price, I’m hoping that WEST TO THE BRIDGE can prove that he has really turned a corner this season and that Dan Skelton has found the key to him. If so, he offers decent each-way value with most firms paying enhanced places. He just got the final vote ahead of FLASHJACK but, although not a formal tip, I may find myself throwing some loose change in the direction of Henry Daly’s horse anyway.
TIP - Imperial Alcazar / TRACKERS - Third Wind + West To The Bridge (reserve Flashjack @ 33/1)