Andrew McLaren has two antepost selections for the weekend's racing at Haydock and Kempton.
Weekend View: Saturday September 5
1pt win Paborus in the Betfair Sprint Cup Haydock at 16/1 (General)
1pt win Square Necker in the Old Borough Cup Haydock at 12/1 (bet365, William Hill, Unibet)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook Betfair Sportsbook
The dry spell the country has faced seems well and truly over now and Haydock Park has been hit by upwards of 34mm of rain since last Wednesday, leaving the ground described as Soft (Good to Soft in places) ahead of their Betfair Sprint Cup card, with more rain forecast in the week ahead, too.
That would be a concern for July Cup hero Comanche Brave, who excelled on the speed-favouring conditions at Newmarket, and he has been pulled out when the ground turned soft in the past.
Similar comments would apply to Coppull, who proved he has the stamina for seven furlongs last time, which will be needed in these conditions, but he’s yet to race on a surface softer than good.
Almeraq, however, is proven in the mud and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner has understandably found his way to the head of the market. He needs to bounce back, though, after finishing well-held behind Comanche Brave in the July Cup, and at the odds he’s worth taking on.
PABORUS is the one I want to be with at a double-figure price. Coming here on the back of finishing eighth in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes two weeks ago might not fill you with confidence, but he shaped much better than that finishing position suggests after travelling well up with the pace and just tiring late on.
He’s spent most of his career racing over seven furlongs, but his performance dropped back to six for the Group 3 Chipchase at Newcastle suggested he is capable of mixing it with the best sprinters in the country.
In fact, in comfortably beating Marvelman, who reopposes, and Symbol Of Honor, who have both done their bit for the form since, he registered a Timeform rating of 119 - one pound superior to the 118 Almeraq achieved in winning the Group 1 at Royal Ascot the week prior.
He’s been kept away from firm conditions for most of his career, so the ground on Saturday should be perfect, while the fact we know he stays further is another plus given the stamina test Saturday's conditions are likely to provide.
In a wide-open sprint division, Paborus is worth backing to prove he’s up to Group 1 level for trainer Ed Bethell, who knows what it takes to win this race having landed it in 2023 with Regional.
What a treat we’re in for at Kempton Park on Saturday as Constitution Hill makes his return to action in a red-hot edition of the September Stakes.
Nicky Henderson’s charge has a Timeform rating of 106P on the Flat after a couple of novice wins. Of his potential opposition, only Watch My Tracker, who is seemingly there as a pacemaker for Bay City Roller, has a lower rating (103), which gives you an idea of the task he faces.
The large P is the key here, though, signifying he is capable of much better form, and the form of his Southwell romp has been working out well in his absence, with Square Necker (more on him later) who was nine-and-a-half-lengths behind him in second, winning two handicaps since and shaping well in the Ebor off a mark of 97.
I think the market has this about right, though, with Gethin the right favourite, and it’ll be a watching brief for me with potential Arc clues and the prospect of high-end handicaps for Constitution Hill later in the season.
Even if this test does prove a step too far for the Champion Hurdler, his form could get another boost around 15 minutes later with the aforementioned SQUARE NECKER going for the Old Borough Cup at Haydock.
He couldn’t live with Constitution Hill at Southwell, but to be fair to him, he was conceding 5lb to the winner there, and since then he hasn’t looked back.
A comfortable win off a mark of 85 at Hamilton was followed up in a deeper race at Ayr, and handicaps don’t come much more competitive than the Ebor, where he shaped much better than a finishing position of 13th would suggest last time.
A wide draw there did him no favours and he had a horrid passage through, meeting significant trouble when things got tight against the rail, which meant he wasn’t able to fully open up until the race was already over.
This is a race where beaten horses from the Ebor have a good record and while Square Necker didn’t get to show what he can really do at York, he gave the impression he can win races from a mark of 97.
Track, trip and ground should all suit on Saturday, and he’s worth backing at 10/1 and bigger.
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 01/09/2026
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