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Alex Hammond Haydock Park preview and tips including Temple Stakes

By Alex Hammond

17:11 · SAT May 25, 2024

Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond goes through the main races for Haydock Park on Saturday in her latest blog.

I was always told “Ne’er cast a clout till May be out” and that’s advice I’m glad I heeded on Wednesday when walking round Kew Gardens in the relentless rain. Great news for the plants, not so much for those of us there to admire them. It has also caused havoc to the racing programme this weekend, it’s Bank Holiday, of course it has!

The going for Haydock’s two day fixture which starts on Friday is expected to be on ground described as soft, heavy in places. Chester’s turf has the same description for Saturday’s card, although officials are holding an inspection on Friday afternoon to determine whether the meeting can go ahead due to areas of standing water on the track.

Either way, mudlarks will come to the fore at both venues if they go ahead. The weekend has a real bank holiday feel to it with a busy Saturday in store (hopefully).

Haydock and Goodwood host Premier Raceday’s and will therefore attract most of the attention. There are set to be a brace of Group 2 contest at Haydock with a field of 10 declared to take part in the Betfred Temple Stakes over five furlongs. It should be an intriguing race which sees the return of Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream. Will the ground blunt his phenomenal speed though? He has won on a soft surface but it’s not ideal to start off on ground that will take some getting through.

You’d imagine that soft ground isn’t what an Aussie raider would like but the Henry Dwyer trained mare Asfoora has won on it and has come a long way to just take in the fresh northwestern air. Both the trainer, and his jockey Mitchell Aitken are having their first experience of British racing…get used to it lads, it rains a lot here!

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It feels like Vadream has been around a long time although she’s still only six, and it’s long enough to know she will love conditions. On her day she is capable in these races, but she’s never won above Group 3 company.

Rogue Lightning went through the sales ring in October and fetched a cool one million pounds to join the Wathnan Racing squad. As retained jockey to the owners, James Doyle takes over from Rab Havlin who was on board in the Abbaye, the opposite of what happened to the popular veteran rider earlier this week, but the less said about the jockey merry go round, the better!

Queen Mary third Beautiful Diamond represents Karl Burke, and as a three year old filly she gets weight from all bar her fellow contemporary, Flora Of Bermuda. Beautiful Diamond finished third behind the quirky Seven Questions (reopposes) and Vadream on return at Newmarket in the Palace House Stakes, but it was a bunch finish and she’s an improving three year old.

Equality is a gnarly six year old with plenty of experience and he’ll enjoy the ground. He’s trained by Charlie Hills who won this a couple of times with Battaash.

Clive Cox is no stranger to success in this race either having won it with Profitable and Priceless and he runs one of the outsiders in Kerdos. He’s not one to write off this season but I’m not convinced this ground is perfect for him, although he handles some cut.

Makarova is the only other runner not mentioned yet. Ed Walker’s mare hasn’t won at this level in the past and really testing ground is an unknown.

Sky Bet are paying four places instead of three, so I’m prepared to take a chance on Kerdos handling conditions and finishing in the first four. He’s 20/1 outsider of the lot with Sky Bet.

The other Group 2 is the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Sandy Lane Stakes, over six furlongs and confined to three year olds.

This doesn’t look anywhere near as competitive as the Temple Stakes and that’s thanks to the return of Vandeek who went through his two year old campaign unbeaten which included the Prix Morny and Middle Park at the highest level. He gives weight to all his rivals because of those Group 1 victories, but he’s rated superior to the rest here and deserves to be Sky Bet’s 4/6 favourite. He’s 5/2 favourite for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, and 5/1 market leader for the July Cup.

Vandeek in full flow

Don’t write off the Kevin Ryan trained Inisherin. He may not be one for Saturday but he’s one to watch now he goes sprinting. All three of his runs have come over a mile and his ability saw him finish second at Newmarket on debut in September and then hack up at Newcastle on his return in March. His next assignment was a tough one when 40/1 in the 2000 Guineas and a sprinting career now beckons. He’s not really bred for it, but he’s got talent, and his trainer knows what a good sprinter looks like. The ground is an unknown for him. He’s the 9/2 second favourite.

On the same card there are a couple of hot handicaps and I think there’s a horse to follow this season lining up in the Betfred Nifty 50 Hell Nook Handicap at 3.30. The Ralph Beckett-trained Nothing To Sea has top weight to carry in this two mile contest thanks to a winning handicap debut at Sandown when last seen in July. He’s been off for a while but goes well fresh and looks like a progressive stayer with a bit more time to mature. He doesn’t have a three-figure rating yet but it's only a matter of time and at 5/1 second favourite he’s worth keeping on side.

Haydock soft ground holds no fears for Candonomore who makes his handicap debut in the opening Silver Bowl Heritage Handicap at 1.15. Tim Easterby’s three-year-old hacked up in his maiden at this track a month ago and moves into handicaps off a mark of 81, which looks fair. Whether he’s quite street wise enough at this stage of his career remains to be seen but he’s got potential to improve from that maiden victory. He’s a 7/1 shot.

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