Haydock Saturday preview: What the trainers say

By Sporting Life

16:22 · FRI May 24, 2024

Views from connections ahead of the Group 2 action at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.

Fellowes expecting bold Temple bid from Vadream

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Charlie Fellowes expects conditions at Haydock to bring out the best in his star sprinter Vadream when she lines up in the Betfred Temple Stakes.

The six-year-old has produced the keynote performances of her career so far when the mud has been flying, with victories in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot, the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster and the Palace House at Newmarket all achieved on soft or heavy ground.

She notably inflicted a half-length defeat on the reopposing subsequent Nunthorpe hero Live In The Dream in the Palace House at Newmarket last spring – and having come within a head of successfully defending her crown last time out, Fellowes is confident she will make her presence felt on Saturday.

“She’s had a really good start to the year. She normally takes two or three runs to really get into a rhythm, but she’s already run two really good races this spring,” said the Newmarket handler.

“I said before her seasonal debut at Bath I felt like we’d had a really good preparation and she’s put in two big runs on ground that she’s absolutely fine on, but if you are a mudlark and handle those testing conditions it’s such a big advantage, and it looks like she’s going to get them this weekend.

“She beat Live In The Dream last year on this ground, she goes there in cracking order, we’ve got a top jockey on board (Danny Tudhope) and when she gets this ground, she is very, very, very good.

“It was a massive shame that last year she never got her ground in the big ones. Bar the King’s Stand, we sidestepped all the big ones over five furlongs, which I’m convinced is her best trip, because the ground was just too quick in all of them – the Nunthorpe, the Flying Five and the Prix de l’Abbaye.

“One of them has got to come up on soft ground this year and if they do, she’ll be very dangerous.”

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Live In The Dream is set to make his first competitive appearance since finishing fourth at the Breeders’ Cup in November for Epsom-based trainer Adam West, who said: “Touch wood, everything has been going really well, I’m very happy with him and he looks the most mature he’s been, so we’re hopeful for another big year.

“We’ve trained him this year with the Breeders’ Cup down the line in mind. He’s going to Haydock with the best amount of ability that I’ve seen him with, but maybe this race will bring him on.

“He’s the best I’ve ever seen him mentally and physically, but fitness-wise sprinters will normally need a run, especially at this top level.”

Australian challenger Asfoora brings an international flavour to proceedings as she warms up for an appearance at Royal Ascot next month.

Trainer Henry Dwyer said: “She’s terrific, she’s been here three and a half weeks now. We’ve given her a fair bit of breathing space since she’s been here, we haven’t really tightened the screws yet, and I couldn’t be any happier with how she looks, how she is and how her work’s been.

“We’re pretty adaptable, she’s a good mare who has won races on pretty firm tracks but her best ground in my opinion is what we’d call a soft five or a soft six.

“She broke the track record at Sandown (in Australia) one day early on in her career on a soft six, which is pretty much unheard of. Your track records here are usually set on flint-hard tracks, but she really appreciates getting her toe in.

“Her best asset is, to state the obvious, she’s a fast horse, but she’s not one of the hard-going sprinters that you see that gets tired late. She’s a sprinter that can sit on a really high cruising speed and she can either take a seat or she can lead, it doesn’t really matter.”

Further strength in depth is added by Tom Clover’s Rogue Lightning, who will carry the Wathnan Racing colours for the first time after being bought for £1million from former owners The Rogues Gallery at the Goffs Qipco Champions Day sale in October.

The four-year-old won two handicaps and a Listed prize prior to finishing a close-up fifth in the Prix de l’Abbaye last season and remains in training with Clover, who is looking forward to his return.

He said: “He’s trained lovely this spring and he won on reasonably testing ground at Doncaster in what was the Scarbrough Stakes, so I think he handles soft ground OK.

“Ideally, I’d love to be running him on good to firm ground because you can use the speed he has, he’s a very fast horse, but at the same time I think he’ll handle this ground and it shouldn’t be a problem.

“He’s done some lovely work at home and has just improved each week. He’s coming to hand nicely now and I would hope he’ll be peaking through the summer, but I hope he’s straight enough to go to Haydock and run a really nice race.”

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Vandeek the star attraction in Sandy Lane comeback test

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Ed Crisford has admitted the forecast testing conditions at Haydock will not be ideal for Vandeek’s eagerly-anticipated return to action in Saturday’s Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Sandy Lane Stakes.

The Havana Grey colt carried all before him in the juvenile sprinting division last season, winning each of his four starts, including Group One victories in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes.

His top-level triumph in France and his preceding Group Two success in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood were both achieved on soft ground, but with a tilt at the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in four weeks’ time looming large, connections would prefer to be running on a quicker surface on his comeback.

Crisford, who trains Vandeek in partnership with his father Simon, said: “Vandeek has done well over the winter and his preparation has gone great. Obviously, starting him on this sort of ground isn’t that ideal, but he needs to run.

“We know he’s won on soft ground before, so it’s not too concerning, it’s just that it’s his first run of the year and they’re always entitled to improve, but bar that he’s in great order.

“This has been the long-term plan and the only thing you can’t control is the weather, so it is what it is. We know he goes on the ground, so it’s just a matter of getting him out now and giving him his first run of the year.

“All athletes will improve for that match practice and he’s entitled to improve for sure, but we’ve done as much as we can at home to get him ready for his first run.

“Hopefully he’s got a long year ahead of him, so we’ll see how he gets on on Saturday and off we go for the season.”

Vandeek in full flow

The horse rated the biggest threat to Vandeek by bookmakers is the Kevin Ryan-trained Inisherin, who drops to six furlongs after finishing sixth over a mile in the 2000 Guineas three weeks ago.

Adam Ryan, assistant to his father, said: “I thought he ran a huge race in the Guineas, travelled well throughout and showed quite a lot of speed, so we thought we’d drop him back in trip for this.

“He’s in great order, we couldn’t be happier with him. Vandeek was a superstar last year and he’s obviously the one to beat, but we’re very happy with our fella and we’ll find out a lot more about him on Saturday.

“You never know whether they’ll handle soft ground until you try it, but if he does have a bit more stamina on his side, and obviously he’s won over a mile, it could be a positive.”

Other contenders include Andrew Balding’s Commonwealth Cup Trial third Purosangue, David O’Meara’s Greenham Stakes winner Esquire, Richard Fahey’s unbeaten dual winner Airman and the Stuart Williams-trained Pandora’s Gift, who switches to turf after winning her last four races on the all-weather.

“She’s been very straightforward and just progressed every race, and I think she’s come on again since her last race and I’m very happy with the condition of her,” said Williams.

“She’s fast and then she settles and then she can kick on again. We’ll find out if she doesn’t like soft ground if it’s soft, but I would imagine we’d run whatever happens.”

John and Thady Gosden’s Orne and Alaskan Gold from Karl Burke’s yard complete the line-up.

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