The Karl Burke-trained El Caballo has been the midweek gamble ahead of Saturday's Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
After registering a Carlisle novice success at the second time of asking last May, the son of Havana Gold suffered a setback which ruled him out for the rest of the 2021 turf season, but Burke hatched a plan for the all-weather and the horse hasn't looked back over the winter.
Last seen completing a fourth straight success by repelling William Haggas's Tiber Flow in the 3 Year Old All-Weather Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle on Good Friday (April 15, replay below), El Caballo will now look to return to turf in the best possible fashion in the Sandy Lane (3.10) this weekend.
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Burke won Saturday's race at Haydock with subsequent Commonwealth Cup-winning filly Quiet Reflection in 2016 and the race has since been won by Harry Angel, Sands Of Mali, Hello Youmzain and 2021 Wokingham Stakes winner Rohaan, who wasn't eligible for the Commonwealth Cup on account of being a gelding.
Sky Bet make El Caballo their 5/2 favourite having initially priced up at 6/1 at the start of the week and their Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "We priced up El Caballo on Monday at 6/1 and he was well backed on the Tuesday evening which forced his price into 4/1.
"The money has continued ever since and he was consequently moved to 5/2 this morning, and overall we’ve seen 85% of stakes on the market for El Caballo - he is our only loser in the Sandy Lane at this point."
It's a similar story at Paddy Power, who were among the firms to also cut El Caballo for victory in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on June 16.
Paddy Power are as short as 10/1 for Ascot and their spokesman Paul Binfield said: “We put El Caballo into the Sandy Lane market at 7/1 on Monday and he now shares 5/2 favouritism with Go Bears Go.
"The form of his last race has been franked by Tiber Flow landing a Listed heat at Newbury last Saturday and with Karl Burke’s horses winning for fun on the Knavesmire last week, it’s easy to understand why he has his supporters this weekend and ahead of the Royal meeting."
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