LORD IT OVER HAYDOCK RIVALS
Karl Burke has a big weekend in prospect with Laurens lining up on Champions Day and Lord Oberon can ensure the yard heads to Ascot on a high by triumphing at Haydock tomorrow.
The three-year-old has been pretty consistent in his five starts to date, winning twice and placing on the other three occasions, most recently when second at this track last month.
Returning from 162 days off the track, Lord Oberon only lost out by a neck over six furlongs to a race-fit rival off a career-high mark of 85.
The handicapper has hiked him a further 4lb for that effort, but he appears relatively unexposed at this stage and could have a fair bit in the locker still for the Racing UK Handicap.
It is worth keeping faith with Across The Sea in the Racing Welfare Nursery Handicap.
James Tate’s youngster won nicely on her penultimate start - her handicap debut - when beating Elsaabiqaat by two and a quarter lengths.
The pair reopposed next time out at Sandown, but while Elsaabiqaat gained her revenge on much better terms, Tate’s filly - who was only two and a bit lengths in arrears of the top-notch Pretty Pollyanna on her debut - ran no sort of race, beating just one home.
That was clearly not her running and she is given another chance.
Muthanaa is the pick in the Harvey Lane Novice Stakes.
Roger Fell purchased this Poet’s Voice gelding for just £2,500 in August and he made a decent stab of his on his first racecourse outing, finishing a half-length second as a 33-1 shot in a fair maiden.
Muthanaa hails from the family of Group One winner Aqlaam and he could turn out to be something of a bargain buy for his shrewd handler.
City Tour should feel the benefit of his racecourse debut when he lines up in the Oakmere Homes EBF Novice Stakes.
He showed his inexperience both in the paddock and during the race, so it is certainly to his credit that he managed to get within a length of victory that day at Ayr.
Mark Johnston’s runner ought to be wiser for the outing and has shown he can handle testing ground, too.
At Redcar, Soldier To Follow is of interest in the Sam Hall Memorial Handicap.
He shed his maiden tag over 12 furlongs on soft ground at Hamilton on his most recent outing, suggesting that a step up to a mile and three-quarters might well be within his compass, while conditions should also suit.
They race under the floodlights at Newcastle, where Gallic gets the vote in the Happy 60th Birthday Martin Robson Nursery Handicap.
Ed Walker’s charge has only run once on the allweather, but it was a good effort to be third in a reasonable event at Kempton, with the second coming out to win since.
She was due to make her handicap bow at Windsor last week but was pulled due to the rain-softened ground.
While this Tapeta surface represents a different test to the Polytrack of Kempton, there is every reason to think she will go on it.
H Almania will not take up his engagement in the Vertem Futurity at Doncaster on Saturday week and is unlikely to run again this season.
The son of Australia, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, has made just two racecourse appearances but looked a colt full of potential when getting off the mark over seven furlongs at Sandown on his latest outing.
Connections are looking forward to his three-yearold career, when they expect him to be campaigned over a mile and a quarter and possibly further.
“He’s OK, but he’s not going to Doncaster for the Futurity,” said Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail.
“He probably won’t run again this year. We’ll probably save him for next year.”