With Royal Ascot approaching, the Weekend Winners team has turned its attention to a strong Haydock card on Saturday. The meeting features two Group Two races, the Temple Stakes and the Sandy Lane, plus a competitive Silver Bowl. Host Kate Tracey was joined by regular contributors Declan Rix and Sam Boswell to run through the big sprint contests.
Night Raider returns to Haydock on the back of a powerful victory in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket for trainer Karl Burke. The gelding operation appears to have sharpened him, and his Newmarket performance was authoritative: he showed plenty of raw pace and was several lengths clear as he turned for home, dictating the race and leaving rivals to chase.
Kate Tracey is happy to side with Night Raider (quoted around 5/1) after that display. She feels the gelding has taken a step forward, that his Palace House run was very impressive, and she even joked that, having beaten her earlier tip Rumstar that day, he ‘owes her one.’
Declan Rix argues pace will be decisive in the Temple Stakes and is happy to be a bit ‘cheeky’ with a two-pronged approach. His first selection is Jakajaro, a horse who has looked revitalised since returning from America and has registered eye-catching wins at York and Newmarket this season. Jakajaro possesses serious early speed and could lead the field from the front. As a counterbalance in case the pace collapses, Rix also likes First Instinct, the William Haggas-trained hold-up performer who could benefit if the leaders go too fast.
Sam Boswell of BetVictor also came away very impressed by Night Raider. He was struck by the maturity Karl Burke mentioned after Newmarket and feels the trainer will know how to handle any tricky underfoot conditions. Boswell admits there are arguments for other runners, but he believes Night Raider is on an upward trajectory and can continue that progress at this level.
In short, Night Raider heads the market after a dominant Palace House display and looks the one to beat, but the race contains abundant pace in horses like Jakajaro and tactical options such as First Instinct, so a strong early gallop or a late change of tempo could still produce an upset.