Our form expert tipped 9/1 winner Squealer in last Saturday's Verdict column and he has four selections at Haydock and Sandown this weekend.
The Verdict: Saturday July 5
1pt e.w. Queen All Star in 1.50 Sandown at 14/1 (Ladbrokes 1/5 1,2,3, 12/1 General)
1pt win Many Men in 2.05 Haydock at 13/2 (bet365, 6/1 General)
1pt win Scenic in 2.40 Haydock at 100/30 (General)
1pt win Plage De Havre in 3.15 Haydock at 15/2 (William Hill, 888sport)
Buick to Star at Sandown
Ombudsman heads the Coral-Eclipse cast at Sandown on Saturday and I imagine he’ll have too much class for Sosie and the three-year-olds after his coming-of-age performance in the Prince Of Wales’s at Royal Ascot.
The worries are the relatively quick turnaround and the potential for this to get tactical, but he’s not a horse with many miles on the clock for a four-year-old and he looks far from a one-trick pony when it comes to tactics.
William Buick will likely keep things simple on him and in a small field he shouldn’t find anywhere near the trouble he did at Ascot where he still won with a startling authority.
I certainly don’t want to take him on and it could be a day for the fancied horses at Sandown with Blue Bolt and Greek Order also looking to hold excellent chances.
The best betting race on the undercard looks to be the opening Group 3 Coral Charge as it looks an open race as is typical of the sprint division at the moment.
Kerdos could take advantage of the drop in class but he’s a hard horse to win with and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jack Channon’s QUEEN ALL STAR take a big leap forward under that man Buick for her in-form yard.
This is a good spot for her getting the age and sex allowances at a track where she ran out a very impressive winner of a hot handicap last time where she accounted for the likes of Redorange and Zayer.
Their subsequent exploits suggest she’s much better than a 90-rated filly and her Group 1 entries in the Nunthorpe and Flying Five also look a significant hint that big things are expected of the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor.
I loved how she travelled through the handicap last time and with that in mind this step up in class and particularly the likely strong pace should suit her well.
Buick might have to come off the rail to challenge from stall one, but if this filly gets a bit of luck in the run I can see her going well for a yard oozing with confidence.
The Verdict: Back QUEEN ALL STAR in the 1.40 Sandown
Life’s a beach for Balding
All the other Saturday bets are at Haydock who host the bet365 Old Newton Cup, a race that David O’Meara has a good record in having won it a couple of times.
He runs Stressfree in this year’s renewal and he comes out of the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot, a race that has previous when it comes to finding the Old Newton Cup winner.
However, I think he’ll find it difficult to beat Andrew Balding’s PLAGE DE HAVRE who gets an 8lb pull at the weights with him for being beaten two lengths at York in May.
That was an excellent performance from Plage De Havre, as not only was he repeatedly short of room in the straight but it was just his second start on turf after he learned his trade on the all-weather.
He’s a strong traveller who stays further than 1m4f, so this race should really suit and it looks significant that Balding relies on him here having had the option of running Duke Of Edinburgh fifth Mount Atlas at the five-day stage.
The York form was well advertised by Naqeeb, three places behind Plage De Havre on the Knavesmire, in the aforementioned Ascot contest and I’d say this son of Le Havre still looks well treated off a mark of 92.
The Verdict: Back Plage De Havre in the 3.15 Haydock
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Many Men still on the improve
Earlier on at Haydock Jim Boyle’s MANY MEN could go in again in the bet365 Handicap over 1m6f.
Study Of Man progeny tend to stay well, this son of that sire is bred for a trip being a half-brother to two-mile winner Heatherdown Hero and stamina could win him the day here.
Indeed, he did extremely well to pick up off a slow pace to get the better of the reopposing Novelista at Doncaster last time where he strongly suggested he’ll be seen to even better effect off a proper gallop.
I imagine he’ll get that pace set-up here with Ammes, Last Galileo and Deep Water Bay likely to go forward and I like that he has proven himself at the distance, unlike many of his market rivals.
The Verdict: Back MANY MEN in the 2.05 Haydock
Scenic looks a picture in Lancashire Oaks
Finally, Estrange is being backed as if defeat is out of the question in the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks but I think she has a tougher task against Ed Walker's SCENIC than odds of 1/4 suggest.
O’Meara’s filly is no doubt an exciting prospect, but she’s also got to the track just four times in her life and with such a lightly-raced type of four-year-old there has to be a chance that they go best fresh.
Either way, Scenic shouldn’t be underestimated as she looks an improved model this season and I liked her win at York last time where she beat a well-backed course and distance winner in Term Of Endearment despite that rival getting first run on her after dictating the gallop.
The pair were four lengths clear of the rest, Scenic doing ever so well to chase down the leader off a moderate gallop, and she has the gears not to be inconvenienced by this drop back to a mile and a half.
Indeed, I think she’s tactically versatile and that could give James Doyle the edge in a race that could easily get a bit messy, while it could be worth taking the hint that he rides her here given owners Wathnan have runners at Beverley, Sandown and Deauville, as well.
The Verdict: Back SCENIC in the 2.40 Haydock
Preview posted at 1545 BST on 04/07/25
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