Saturday Tips: Ross Millar focuses on Haydock with four strong selections

1.10 Haydock, 1m Sankey Handicap

I was gobsmacked - and slightly frustrated - that my money wasn’t down on Ana Gold when she won a 5f sprint at Beverley on her second start last August. 

She went straight into my notebook after an eyecatching and staying-on fourth on debut at Pontefract and I backed it up with notes that read ‘good late progress, contender in nurseries over 7f or more’. While she hasn’t improved as expected after her Beverley win, she has run solid races in defeat on all three subsequent starts.

Her pedigree suggests this mile trip can bring about further improvement, and a mark of 75 is more than fair - the runner-up from her Beverley win is now rated 83. 

She was far too keen on her seasonal reappearance last month, but I hope that, with that race under her belt and smart apprentice Connor Murtagh claiming a useful 3lb, she can run a big race at an attractive double-figure price.

Selection: Ana Gold @ 27

2.20 Haydock, 1m4f Double Delight Handicap 

I’m a fan of Universal as a stallion - he gets tough,hardy stock and more often than not his progeny outperform their dam. Statistics aren’t really my thing, but his 30% winner-to-runners with his progeny over 12f or further is pretty noteworthy.

Universal Order was off the track for 602 days before he returned at Ascot at the beginning of this month, and a slow start was evidence that he was a little rusty after his long layoff. He looked to get tired in the last two furlongs and faded into a well-beaten fifth.

That was a Listed contest and he now drops down into a more suitable handicap. Crucially, he is also now back on his last winning mark of 102, too. I expect a much-improved performance at a big price.

Selection: Universal Order @ 20

2.55 Haydock, 1m4f Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes

I’m sure that Sea La Rosa would be a very short-priced favourite if she was arriving here with the benefit of a prep run, as a lack of race-fitness is the only slight worry in the Pinnacle Stakes.

And, while that’s a negative, all of her rivals have much bigger questions to answer. Noon Star has an outstanding pedigree and should appreciate this 1m4f trip given that her dam, Midday, was a Group 1 winner over the distance. Yet, she is showing signs of becoming buzzier with racing and her keen-going style makes it difficult to support her with much confidence.

Climate might well improve for this step up in trip as she made some late progress over three furlongs shorter when last seen, but she certainly doesn’t lack for speed and I was truthfully a little underwhelmed by that reappearance effort at Newmarket.

William Haggas has been firing out the winners at an astonishing rate lately, and I fully expect Sea La Rosa to add to his tally.

Selection: Sea La Rosa @ 4.2

4.40 Haydock, 7f Passionate About Sport Handicap

Much like the aforementioned Ana Gold, Vintage Choice is another lightly raced horse who went into my notebook after an eyecatching debut last year. He duly made amends for his first-time-out defeat on his second start, although he arguably made harder work of gaining that victory than I expected. 

He posted a decent effort at Wolverhamptonon his seasonal return at Wolverhampton when he narrowly failed to concede 7lb to the race-fit Encourageable, who is now rated 88. Hoo Ya Mal and Dawn Of Liberation, the two horses that finished ahead of Vintage Choice on his debut, are now rated 105 and 107 respectively. On all evidence, his opening mark of 87 should be more than workable.

He has been a buzzy sort in the preliminaries of his races, so the fact that he’s been gelded can only be viewed as a positive move. I’ll be disappointed if he can’t win this on his way to better things.

Selection: Vintage Choice @ 2.74

Recommended bets

Ana Gold (1.10 Haydock) @ 27
Universal Order (2.20 Haydock) @ 20
Sea La Rosa (2.55 Haydock) @ 4.2
Vintage Choice (4.40 Haydock) @ 2.74