Haydock free racing tips: Drop in class set could favour veteran campaigner at decent odds
Alazwar ridden by jockey Hollie Doyle at Haydock
As long as the testing conditions do not prove too much for his ageing legs, then the oldest horse in the field could well rekindle former glories as he takes on a more suitable assignment here.
16:05 Haydock: Watch On Racing TV Handicap (6 furlongs)
Hyperfocus has four career wins over this course and distance, three of which were achieved on heavy or soft ground, so the veteran has his conditions today, and he arrives in good shape having most recently finished sixth of 21 in the valuable and higher-graded Coral Sprint Trophy at York just a week ago.
He finished fourth of those who raced down the far side, and he was still in contention, having raced right up with the pace, until the closing stages of that ultra-competitive event.
That was the first time he had raced over that distance on turf since mid-June, when he won a 10-runner handicap on heavy ground at Chester,
Best Bet: Hyperfocus each-way in the 16:05 at Haydock
Significantly, Sean Kirrane, the rider who knows him best, is back on board for this contest after being in the saddle for the veteran’s last three wins, the first of which (early last season) came off a mark of 93, which is 7lbs higher than today.
The four-time course-distance winner, who loves these conditions, looks to have been underestimated and would surely be a much shorter price if he were a younger sprinter.
Of the others, Admiral D is fresh for the time of year, and he has a career-low mark of just 81 to exploit.
Richard Fahey’s five-year-old was rated as high 97 a couple of seasons ago and he started last season off 92, so he has to be of interest here given that he is a six-furlong specialist with some very solid form, albeit from limited opportunities, on soft and heavy ground.
Around this time last year he ran third of 12 in a Class 3 over six heavy-ground furlongs at Ayr off 4lbs higher than today, and having not raced in anything like these conditions since, it would be no surprise to see him bounce right back to form here.
Next Best Bet: Admiral D each-way in the 16:05 at Haydock
- Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr
