Follow Haggas lead and have faith in Addeybb

Four-year-old can stake claim for top honours

ADDEYBB can complete the whirlwind transition from handicapper to Group One performer by lifting the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury today.

The four-year-old had five runs, winning three of them, before this season commenced and is unbeaten in two starts this term.

He kicked-off with an authoritative display to land a quality renewal of the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster in March and followed it up with a dominant performance when stepped up to Group Two company in the bet365 Mile at Sandown last month.

Both those races were on soft ground, but he proved he can handle quicker ground when successful in a handicap at Ascot last July.

Addeybb is well worth taking a chance on in faster conditions and trainer William Haggas would not pitch him in at the top level if he did not think the horse was up to it.

The mile division for older horses is wide open this year and Addeybb can stake his claim for top honours with a third victory of the campaign.

CRYSTAL OCEAN looked like he could be in for a successful season when making a winning reappearance over an inadequate trip of a mile and a quarter at Sandown.

Last year’s St Leger runner-up, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, can only improve back up to a more realistic distance of a mile and a half for the Al Rayyan Stakes. EQTIDAAR was an encouraging second on his seasonal debut at Ascot and should reap the benefit of that

outing to take the Shalaa Carnarvon Stakes to spark a double for the Stoute team.

YAFTA was having his first race since September when going down by only a length to Tribal Quest at Newmarket at the start of the month.

With that effort under his belt, Richard Hannon’s charge can go one better in the Betway Handicap back at headquarters. SELECTIONS NEWBURY: 1.50 Eqtidaar, 2.25 Crystal Ocean, 3.00 Masaarr, 3.40 ADDEYBB (NAP), 4.15 It’s The Only Way, 4.50 Stream Song, 5.25 Ripp Orf. NEWMARKET: 2.05 Old Persian, 2.40 Purser, 3.15 Yafta, 3.50 Beyond Reason, 4.25 Desert Frost, 5.00 Hameem, 5.35 Move In Time. DOUBLE: Addeybb and Yafta.