Recommended Bets: Simon Holt
1pt win Fantasy Keeper in 2.20 Haydock at best morning price
1pt win Snap Shots in 2.55 Haydock at best morning price
2pts win Omran in 2.30 Newmarket at best morning price
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ON a low-key Saturday, Haydock's Group Three Betway John Of Gaunt Stakes and the Betway Pinnacle Stakes are the highest profile races run in Britain.
Both races look tight contests, however, and I hope there will be better chances of a winner in the earlier handicaps with FANTASY KEEPER and SNAP SHOTS.
Fantasy Keeper, the mount of Ryan Moore, has an appealing profile having won his first handicap at Nottingham last month in fluent fashion, and Mick Appleby's colt is fancied to follow up in the Betway Sprint Handicap.
Conditions at Nottingham - six furlongs on soft ground - look like being replicated here and a 6lb rise for beating Seaview two lengths appears reasonable especially as the runner-up filled the same position behind the progressive Kaeso at Ripon on Thursday.
Fantasy Keeper's maiden race efforts were quietly progressive, but the last two of those runs were over five furlongs and the step up in trip seemed just what was needed last time.
Pennsylvania Dutch, a course and distance winner on his sole start last season, could be a danger for the William Haggas yard though the form of that victory has not looked overly strong subsequently.
Later, SNAP SHOTS can make a successful quick reappearance in the Betway Dash Handicap having gone down by a head to Pipers Note at Ripon on Wednesday.
The winner, who was gaining a sixth course victory, is clearly a tough nut to crack on the Yorkshire course and the pair finished fully three lengths clear suggesting the form could be worth following.
Moreover, Snap Shots has a good record at Haydock with two wins from five visits and seems ideally suited by some give in the ground. If none the worse for that recent effort, he must take plenty of beating here given that he will face a ratings rise in future handicaps.
At Newmarket, OMRAN can give Frankie Dettori a winner in the Animal Health Trust Celebrating 75 Years Handicap.
The Marco Botti-trained colt trotted up on the Newcastle all-weather last time and his earlier close fourth to Bacchus at Newbury has worked out well with third-placed Winning Ways gaining an impressive subsequent win at Ascot and runner-up Chessman going down narrowly at Haydock.
Omran, who took a Chelmsford maiden by six lengths in December, is potentially a bold type performer and is fancied to take another step forward here.
