1.15pm Haydock - Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap
These sorts of 3yo races are so hard to get a grip of, with quite a few of these looking like their handicap mark could be a little lenient given the fact they are very lightly raced, but it is just finding the one who is primed the best ready to go on Saturday.
Previous winners of the contest would suggest siding with a horse who has already had the run this season, with Home Affairs back in 2005 being the only one to win this off the back of a 219-day break. All the other previous winners of the Silver Bowl have had a run within 30 to 35 days or so previous to landing this contest.
With that in mind I am looking to side with the Simon and Ed Crisford horse, Involvement, who is very lightly raced, with just the three runs to his name so far. This son of Lope De Vega was a pretty impressive four-length winner on debut at Redcar, before going on to almost defy a penalty when running in a novice contest at Newcastle, where he came 2nd, only beaten by a neck in the end, before going on to run 3rd in his seasonal re-appearance at Epsom last time.
He looked to still be learning his job that day, and when push came to shove in the closing stages he ran on well, so the thinking is he might want a little further than a mile in time, but connections probably feel they might as well utilise this mark of 90 at this stage and land a nice pot in the process.
I think he could be a much better horse on the ratings in due course, and at the prices he is the one to side with for me in this very competitive contest.
- Selection - Involvement (11/1)
2.30pm Curragh - Group 2 Weatherby's Ireland Greenland Stakes
Tim Easterby's Art Power absolutely loves it at this venue, as he currently holds the form figures of 11116 at the Curragh, which does include multiple Group 2 wins, as well as a victory in this contest last year. It is quite evident that he has to have a few runs to be fully tuned up these days, and with two runs under his belt already he has to be taken very seriously.
However, I like the look of Ed Bethell’s Regional, who came on in leaps and bounds last season and became the stable flagbearer for them last season, landing the trainer his first Group 1. To have one of those so early in a training career is a real blessing for Ed, and although he is a 6yo already, just one year younger than Art Power, I very much feel this year we will see him perform well at the highest level once again.
He has shown pretty decent form when fresh, winning off the back of a 328-day break as a 3yo, and winning off a 225-day break last season when he landed a York handicap on his first run of the year. He then went on to beat Equilateral in a Listed contest at Haydock, then came 5th in the Nunthorpe Stakes, looking like the step up to 6 furlongs will very much suit him, which he proved next time out at Haydock.
That was in the Group 1 Sprint Cup, where he disputed the lead early on, before taking the lead 2 furlongs from home, staying on the best to fend off Shouldhavebeenaring by a neck in the end. A 259-day break to overcome here, his previous form shows he does go well fresh, and although this will be the best race in which he has made his seasonal debut, he is clearly improving with age, so I can't wait to see him out again this weekend.
- Selection - Regional (11/2)
3.40pm Curragh - Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas
I am absolutely all over Rosallion here, who is likely to be a pretty short-priced favourite for this race but given how well he ran in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last time on just his first start as a 3yo, he is most definitely the one they all have to beat here.
I was a little apprehensive as to how he would run in that first Classic of the season, as although his 2yo form was very good to the eye early on, I just felt his run in France was flattered by the fact it turned to a sprint in the closing stages like it usually does in France,so I was therefore questioning if he could stay the 1 mile trip.
As it turns out, I was obviously wrong on that instance, and although he was beaten at the time, he was beaten by a horse who was technically race fit with three runs on the all-weather since the turn of the year. For me the Richard Hannon son of Blue Point was most certainly the one to take out of the Guineas, as he finished a further 2 lengths clear of 3rd placed Haatem that day, so that was a brilliant run considering it was the first time he was on the racecourse for 216 days.
His two-year-old form was very good, and although he might not be bred for this sort of trip, he showed last time that it should pose no threats this time around with the recent race under his belt. Although the price is not the best, I think he is most definitely the one they all have to beat on Saturday.
Another that I like the look of at a decent price is the seemingly forgotten horse for Aidan O'Brien and Declan McDonough, Mountain Bear, who has some very useful form as a 2yo. The son of No Nay Never is very well bred, and did run a fair bit last season with 8 runs to his name, but that includes two victories in a maiden at the Curragh as well as a Listed win at Dundalk.
Arguably his best piece of form last season was a 2nd in the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf, only finishing a length and a half behind Unquestionable, who he opposes here again today, but the thing that caught my eye with that effort was how he was flashing home late on in the day.
He broke very slowly away, and due to that was kept at the rear throughout and if you do that in an American race, no matter the contest, you will find it hard to land a blow on the winner. However, he ran on very well in the end down the outside and finished with a wet sail, his closing sectionals and times must have been very good (go back and watch the race if you can, he finished the race the best out of any horse).
The fact he has not had a pipe-opener as yet would suggest he is ready for this, and given he is rated 110, not too far off the rest of these, I could see him finishing well once again and potentially getting in the places or even better.
If he can break quicker but still finish the race like he did over in the US, then he could rattle on late in the day and land a telling blow.
- Selections - Rosallion (10/11 to win) & Mountain Bear (14/1 each way)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell