Betting
HAYDOCK PREVIEW | The Listed Achilles Stakes
12 runners line-up for the 5f sprint at Haydock on Saturday
Haydock hosts an intriguing card on Saturday, with two Group 3s and a Listed contest featuring among the seven races scheduled.
The Pinnacle Stakes and The John Of Gaunt Stakes at 2.55 & 3.30 mark the Grouped action on the card, but they are preceded by the Listed Achilles Stakes at 2.20.
John Quinn (who trains John Of Gaunt Stakes favourite Safe Voyage) sends sprinting veteran EL ASTRONAUTE (7/2) to Haydock with the aim of landing back-to-back successes in the contest.
The eight-year-old claimed victory in this race 11 months ago when it was staged at Doncaster in June, as he knuckled down well to fend off Paul Midgley’s TARBOOSH (13/2) by half a length.
The gelding landed victory on his seasonal reappearance, thundering out of the stalls and making all to win the Boodles Conditions Stakes at the Chester May Festival.
KING’S LYNN (11/2) finished three-quarters of a length behind in second that day, but Andrew Balding’s consistent sort could be in the mix here once again.
The four-year-old makes his first start in Listed company and could well show some progress in this contest.
Edward Bethell’s MOSS GILL (5/1) is stepped down in class here, after competing in Group 1 company last time out in the Middle East.
The pick of the gelding’s form from last season comes from the Nunthorpe Stakes, when finishing three lengths behind legendary sprinter Battaash in third.
If he can replicate that effort at York, then he could well be the pick of the bunch here.
Robert Cowell sends a trio of runners to the contest in the form of gradual improver ALJADY (7/1), last season’s Pavilion Stakes winner DUBAI STATION (14/1) and C&D winner ISHVARA (25/1).
Improving sort MOTAGALLY (7/1) is dropped back down to five furlongs with the aim of landing some black type for Charles Hills, while Tim Easterby’s COUNT D’ORSAY (12/1) could produce a big effort if there is cut in the ground.
Scott Dixon’s ZARGUN (14/1), Christopher Mason’s GLAMOROUS ANNA (25/1) and David Griffiths’ ORNATE (33/1) complete the field of 12 runners for the Listed 5f sprint at Haydock.
