Haydock’s Back but Haggas 2yo’s not firing.

There is no question that York and Haydock are top of the Haggas hunting grounds and after a 3 month break it is fitting that the track re-opens at 5.43 with a Novice Stakes event that is a penalty kick for the Haggas raider Ancestor.

The Yarmouth winner has a stone or more in hand of his two rivals and can add to the impressive Somerville Lodge strike rate at the Lancashire venue. He will be long odds on.

No Bet Recommended

Although a couple of opportunities were missed due to the track repairs, the Haggas winning bandwagon kicks in during the 2nd half of the season from August through to October.

A win for Ancestor will take the win % over the past 5 years at Haydock Park to over 40% for horses rated 1,2,3 in the market in all Class 2,3,4,5,6 races excluding unraced debutants. Just over an hour later that strike rate may soar even higher when the new stable recruit God Given Talent who has to defy top weight in the Class 3 Nursery at 6.53.

Transferred to Somerville Lodge the son of No Nay Never has had no luck at all in his two races after winning impressively at Newbury on debut. He was bumped by the winner Arapaho Gold in the Rose Bowl an effort which the handicapper saw fit to raise him by a 1lb despite finishing 6th beaten 4L. The early indications suggest that is strong form and the fact Haggas puts him straight into a Nursery is a big indication that the mark is considered fair. Tom Marquand who rode him at Newbury retains the ride but the 2yo’s this week in the main have ran very badly and unlike August in previous years look nowhere near ready to win.

No Bet Recommended God Given Talent 6.53 Haydock

The first of the three runners on Friday is another 2yo Hierax who debuts at Newmarket and is the first horse to be trained at Somerville Lodge for the powerful Valmont team.

By Frankel he lines up in a race for unraced horses against several others bred to be useful including the Group 1 entry Desert Castle ( Appleby ) Farasan ( Gosden and Sammood ( Crisford) . it is a race to watch with the future in mind.

The four 2yo’s that have ran so far this week have been very disappointing I suspect a lack of work on the grass gallops is resulting in below par finishing efforts and it has been an expensive few days, at a time of year when they have regularly excelled over a number of of years.

No Bet Recommended Hierax 5.27 Newmarket.