Our form expert has three selections for Saturday afternoon's ITV Racing at Haydock and Goodwood.
The Verdict: Saturday May 24
1pt win Miss Nightfall in the 1.30 Goodwood at 11/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Sex On Fire in 1.50 Haydock at 14/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Grande Marques in the 3.30 Haydock at 16/1 (William Hill, 14/1 General)
Grande ambition for Stack
The Group 2 Betfred Temple Stakes at Haydock takes centre stage in the UK on Saturday and it has the look of a wide-open renewal with no standout sprinter on show like when the likes of Battaash used to turn up for this race.
It is consequently an appealing betting heat and while the likes of Rumstar and American Affair are well respected after recent wins they’re looking short enough in the market now they’re disputing favouritism.
Starlust is a top-level winner after his win out at the Breeders’ Cup, but he wants to chase a strong gallop on very fast ground and he carries a penalty here, so he could easily take a wander in the market.
The one I like at the prices is Fozzy Stack’s GRANDE MARQUES as she looks a very dangerous rival getting all the allowances as a three-year-old filly.
We saw Dramatised take advantage of such a scenario in this race a couple of years ago and Grande Marques is being underestimated to repeat that feat under Cieren Fallon.
The daughter of Starspangledbanner is all speed and she was at her best over the bare five at Newmarket as a two-year-old, winning her side of the Cornwallis very comfortably, only for Coto De Caza to nick it up the stands’ rail.
Remarkably that was the sole run over five furlongs in her career and her only subsequent start came at Cork over five-and-a-half last time where she showed up well after 207 days off.
Only headed late on after trying to make all, she finished just behind Babouche, who has beaten Whistlejacket since and is now second favourite for the Commonwealth Cup, so it looks strong form.
Crucially she showed the same zip she did in the Cornwallis and coming back slightly in trip to this raw five at Haydock looks ideal.
This appears a great spot for her getting plenty of weight from the field (8lb from the fillies and mares, 11lb from the rest and 16lb from Starlust), and if she gets loose on the lead she could be tough to reel in.
The Verdict: Back GRANDE MARQUES in the 3.30 Haydock
Sex appeal in the Silver Bowl
Earlier on at Haydock it’s the Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap and the market could look wildly different on Saturday morning if Friday runners Fort George and Transparent come out as expected.
That’s a 15p Rule 4 before we start which isn’t ideal but I don’t think the two coming out will make too much difference to how this will be run as there looks to be bags of early pace in the field.
City Of God, Thunder Wonder, Dixieland Blues, King Casper and Teroomm could all be jostling for a good early spot from inside draws and there has to be a good chance they’ll go quick.
I certainly wouldn’t rule out the closers drawn out wider coming with a late run and with that in mind SEX ON FIRE makes each-way appeal.
Richard Spencer’s horse is becoming a bit of a Haydock specialist finishing a neck second here in a nursery last July before he bounced right back to form in a first-time visor last month.
Sent off 25/1 that day, he belied the odds with a comfortable victory, staying on well off a strong gallop after travelling smoothly and he could get an identical scenario here.
He is up 7lb from that run, but he ran a belter off his new mark at Chester last time when beaten a length and a quarter in a blanket finish over slightly shorter and I don’t think he’s handicapped out of contention by any means.
You could crab the Chester form judging by the nature of the finish, but they went a good gallop that day and the eighth home, High On Hope, ran a cracker in second at Haydock on Thursday.
The Verdict: Back SEX ON FIRE in the 1.50 Haydock
Don’t Miss Nightfall at Goodwood
Finally, James Fanshawe’s BetGGoodwin Harroways Handicap over seven furlongs at Goodwood.
This race is full of likely improvers, as you’d expect for a Saturday three-year-old handicap at Goodwood, but there are several reasons to expect a good showing from Miss Nightfall and she’s a good bet at double-figure prices.
Firstly, Fanshawe’s three-year-olds have been going really nicely coming off breaks of six months or more, Philanthropist, Back in Black, Pina Sonata and Soho Square all winning over the last few weeks or so.
This filly also has Goodwood form in her locker, as she travelled smoothly in a fillies’ race at this track at the end of September, eventually settling for second as she finished ahead of the French 1000 Guineas runner-up, Shes Perfect.
That’s not the only line of form that suggests she could be well handicapped off 87, as she finished upsides Camille Pissarro in the big sales race at Doncaster where she also proved herself in a big field.
Her half-brother Dusky Prince improved at three, so that’s encouraging from a training-on aspect and I don’t mind stall 12 with Saffie Osborne likely to take a patient approach in any case.
If she gets the breaks, something you always hope for as a punter at this track, she might just get there.
The Verdict: Back MISS NIGHTFALL in the 1.30 Goodwood
Preview posted at 1540 BST on 23/05/25
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