DOUBLE HANDFUL

THANK goodness for gambling, as many a bookmaker has said over the years.

Last weekend we were trying to work out the winner of the Blue Riband event of Flat racing — the Epsom Derby.

This week we’re scrutinising the form in the Group 3 John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock.

There’s always another puzzle to solve, another race to bet on, more money to be won — and lost.

Three horses catch my eye in this sevenfurlong contest open to four-year-olds and over.

The one they all have to beat is SIR DANCELOT and, frankly, I’ll be surprised if they do.

His latest run in the Lockinge was a very respectable effort given it was his first for seven months and over a distance a tad too far for him.

I’m sure trainer David Elsworth had today’s race as his main target and that run at Newbury will have sharpened him up.

He finished seventh of 14, which may sound nothing more than a par

performance, but he was well in contention two furlongs out and will benefit greatly from the switch back to his preferred trip of seven furlongs. This is a distance over which he won three times last season (his other win coming over six).

The main concern is the weather. Plenty of rain has been forecast for Haydock, so hopefully conditions won’t be too testing. Course specialist Safe Voyage is sure to attract a good deal of support having won five of his past seven races. Three of his last four have come over course and distance.

He also had two of today’s field, Mankib and Suedois, behind him in his last run and both of those horses are in the first six in the betting.

He looks to be almost guaranteed a place in the first three.

The other danger looks to be Roger Teal’s Tip Two Win if he can reproduce the form that saw him finish second behind Saxon Warrior in last year’s 2,000 Guineas.