Our racing expert Ben Linfoot has four selections for Saturday's action from Ascot's Shergar Cup card and at Haydock Park.
The Verdict tips: Saturday, August 12
1pt win Existent in 1.35 Ascot at 5/1 (General)
1pt win Empirestateofmind in 3.20 Ascot at 8/1 (bet365, 7/1 General)
1pt win Batal Dubai in 4.30 Ascot at 5/1 (General)
1pt e.w Harswell Duke in 2.25 Haydock at 22/1 (NON RUNNER - going)
Existent tops Shergar Cup bets
Over at Ascot EXISTENT looks the best bet on the Shergar Cup card in the opening Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash over five furlongs.
This could be run at a real clip with Tees Spirit, Michaela’s Boy and Intrinsic Bond in the field and that will suit hold-up merchant Existent who loves nothing more than chasing a strong gallop over five.
He has been hard to win with and his losing run now stretches to 17, but that includes 11 goes at group level and he was beaten just over two lengths in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock in May.
His runs in handicap company this summer have hinted at a winning revival, as he ran well at Ascot on July 15, lost loads of ground at the start on his next go at the same track, before the headgear combination of the hood and cheekpieces saw him finish second to Lord Riddiford at Goodwood last week.
He’s dropped 4lb in those runs to 98, his lowest rating since he bolted up at Wolverhampton off 94 in early 2022, so with everything in his favour he can finally win again with Tom Marquand getting the ride the icing on the cake.
The Verdict: Back EXISTENT in the Shergar Cup Dash
ITV7 is completely free to enter!
Make your predictions by 14.25 Saturday for your chance to win a huge jackpot...
Going into Batal again
Roger Charlton has a great Shergar Cup record (five wins from 11 goes) and his BATAL DUBAI looks another likely type in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint.
Good all-weather form often translates well to sand-based Ascot and he’s two from two on the Newcastle Tapeta, while he only went up 4lb for his latest win there despite being much more dominate than the head verdict suggests.
He’s going to get a lovely tow into this from Quinault and Radio Goo Goo and given this unexposed type has more to offer (this is just his fifth run on turf) there’s every chance he can go in again.
The Verdict: Back BATAL DUBAI in the Shergar Cup Sprint
Empire to strike back at Ascot
Finally, with John Quinn back in good form EMPIRESTATEOFMIND looks a good bet in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Mile.
The son of Starspangledbanner has looked to be running back into form on his last two starts, particularly at Ascot last time, on the straight course, where he lost a couple of places in the closing stages having shown up well for a long way.
The key to him could be running around a bend again on the round course, as he has run on straight tracks all year but his wins have come at Musselburgh, Thirsk, Pontefract and Ripon - all turning tracks.
He still looks fairly treated off 98 and Frankie Dettori, the king of Ascot, is in the saddle, so you can count on him to be in the perfect position when the bell goes on the turn for home.
The Verdict: Back EMPIRESTATEOFMIND in the Shergar Cup Mile
Harswell Duke (NON RUNNER)
It’s one of the quieter Saturdays of the UK Flat season this weekend but there are plenty of handicaps to have a go at including at the Shergar Cup at Ascot and at Haydock’s Rose of Lancaster meeting.
Showers are forecast at Haydock and with the wet weather we’ve had in the last few weeks it won’t take much to turn the ground soft there, so that has to be factored into calculations ahead of the opening Betfred ‘Play Fred’s £5million’ Handicap (2.25) which looks the best betting race on the card.
This looks a tight handicap and much could depend on tactics and who gets the run of the race, so I’m happy to let the more obvious improvers like Isle Of Jura and Poet Master go unbacked as they’ve been well found in the market.
The each-way bet I like against them is HARSWELL DUKE at 22/1 getting the five places and he will love every drop of rain that falls at Haydock between now and race time.
He has a superb record on soft and heavy ground, winning the Spring Mile on very testing ground at Doncaster back in April, which was, significantly, his second run back from a break.
Off for 109 days since running down the field at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, he returned at Thirsk a week ago over an inadequate trip and he ran like he needed it, but that should’ve put him spot on for this assignment.
All four of his career wins have come in testing ground when either making all or racing prominently and from stall one the instructions to Johnny Peate should be clear: bounce out and make the running.
On paper there isn’t too much pace pressure against him, so he should be able to lead early on, and if things go to plan and the rain comes he can go well off just a 2lb higher mark than his Doncaster win.
The Verdict: Back HARSWELL DUKE in 2.25 Haydock
Preview posted at 1550 BST on 11/08/23
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org
