Alex Hammond tips: Racing blog ahead of Haydock and Irish 2,000 Guineas

What did you make of the Classic trials at York’s Dante Festival last week?

Both the Dante and the Musidora have been excellent trials for the Epsom Classics over the years, so warrant plenty of respect.

I’m more cut and dried on who I fancy to win the Derby than the Oaks after Benvenuto Cellini won at Chester, but Item threw his hat into the ring after his win at York. Andrew Balding didn’t think he had a standout Derby contender at the start of the year, so this son of Frankel has had to step up and step up he has.

It was his seasonal reappearance, and he was a little fresh on his first run since September, so there would be a slight worry about over exuberance over the mile and a half at Epsom as his stamina isn’t a given. He’s 4/1 second favourite behind 15/8 favourite Benvenuto Cellini for the classic with Sky Bet.

Legacy Link is bidding to follow in some very classy footsteps in winning both the Musidora and the Oaks and she’s now 3/1 second favourite for the Epsom Froup 1. Her trainers John and Thady Gosden won both races with Soul Sister in 2023 and have strong claims of repeating the feat.

Is there a Derby or Oaks dark horse you think could run well at Epsom at a price?

Saxon Street is not really a dark horse as he’s not under the radar, but what it at this stage? He’s unlikely to be even vaguely dimly lit after Saturday’s Cocked Hat at Goodwood and we know he will cope with Epsom’s idiosyncrasies having won the Blue Riband Trial at the venue on his return last month. He’s 5/6 favourite with Sky Bet to win at the weekend and currently 16/1 for Epsom.

Another 16/1 shot for the Epsom classics is K Sarra in the Oaks. She finished third behind Legacy Link at York (replay below) and was staying on all the way to the line over the extended mile and a quarter trip.

She’s a full sister to Pride Of Arras who was a Derby fancy last year but was too headstrong and flopped at Epsom but bounced back to win the Great Voltigeur later in the season after a gelding operation. She is more chilled out than her big brother so could run well for trainer Ralph Beckett.

How taken were you by Notable Speech in the Lockinge at Newbury and who else enhanced their Royal Ascot claims over the weekend?

Extremely taken. For him to win as well as he did after a tour of Berkshire up the home straight was impressive. There just felt like a vibe that we may not see him again as all came together in the Lockinge in what his trainer Charlie Appleby called a “stallion-making race”.

It seems incredulous that winning a 2000 Guineas, Sussex Stakes and a Breeders’ Cup Mile aren’t enough to get a spot on a stallion roster somewhere, but now he has this race on his CV it's job done.

His turn of foot was lightning and at the age of five he doesn’t have anything left to prove. He’s 7/4 favourite to win the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot so let’s hope he rocks up there to check out a bit more of the county. He’s been beaten in both his trips to the Royal meeting in the past so maybe there’s some unfinished business.

As for others to advertise their Royal Ascot credentials, Kalpana should be given a mention because she was awesome at Newbury on Saturday, but whilst she may line up at Ascot, it’s the meeting there in October that’s the main focus for her as she’ll bid to win the Fillies and Mares for a record third time.

I’m a fan of the London Gold Cup at Newbury as it’s a handicap that generally unearths future Group winners. Lost Boys won well for David Menuisier, but you should also keep an eye on runner up Sahara King and the third Tierra Del Torro because all three have bright futures.

There are a raft of horses you can follow at the Royal meeting with the likes of Far Above Dream a likely Wokingham contender, Classic in the Hunt Cup and let’s not forget some of the placed horses with More Thunder showing that a mile is no problem for him and the Queen Anne is a likely destination for him now.

Given that Classic won the mile handicap on Saturday, it’s worth reminding you that he was runner-up to his stablemate Linwood in the Spring Cup at Newbury on his previous start and I’m looking forward to seeing Linwood wherever he goes next.

Which horses should we be keeping an eye out for this week?

Saxon Street is obviously already on the list for Goodwood on Saturday.

I put a horse up to follow this season called St Anton and he duly won on his seasonal reappearance at Newmarket, so I hope we see him in either the Harroways Handicap at Goodwood or the Silver Bowl at Haydock on Saturday. I’ll be following him wherever he goes but the mile at Haydock may suit well after his win over that trip last time out. He’s 10/1 with Sky Bet for both races on Saturday.

Venetian Sun is another I’ll be following at Haydock if she goes in the Sandy Lane. The drop back to sprinting will suit after trainer Karl Burke understandably tried to stretch her out for the 1000 Guineas on her seasonal return.

She has a host of top-level entries over sprint trips, and this Group 2 should be well within her capabilities en route to the Commonwealth Cup. She’s a class act for a leading stable and is 2/1 favourite for Haydock, while she's already 8/1 market leader for the Royal Ascot race.

Published at 09:20 BST on 20/05/26

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