GROCER CAN COME UP WITH THE GOODS

GROCER JACK will be bidding to taste a sweet success when he runs in the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock today.

William Haggas’ (left) charge got off the mark for the Sommerville Lodge handler with an impressive nine-length victory in the Listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury last month and now makes the move up to Group Three company looking to expand his reputation.

He was twice a winner at this level for former handler

Waldemar Hickst while trained in Germany and with all three victories coming over the 10-furlong trip, Haggas sees this contest as the perfect place for the son of Oasis Dream to continue his progression.

He said: “This is a step up from a Listed to a Group Three and he won two of those last year, so we will see how we go.

“He won very nicely at Newbury and we just have to see what happens.”

Anmaat returned from a 287day layoff to win the John Smith’s Cup at York and now runs in Group company for the first time.

Route

“He won the John Smith’s off 103 and is up to 109 now, so it is going to be hard to be going the handicap route, so this race slots in nicely and we’re excited to step him up into stakes company,” said Owen Burrows.

“He just got beat in the Cambridgeshire last year and it was a big performance to win the John Smith’s Cup off the back of 200-odd days off, so we’ll see where we stack up.

“The ground looks like it is coming right.

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Intellogent was third on that occasion and has also rattled the crossbar in the Royal Hunt Cup this season, while Saeed bin Suroor’s Passion And Glory is officially the second-highest rated runner in the line-up and arrives on the back of a victory in Sandown’s Gala Stakes.

Other fancies at Ascot include recent Goodwood scorer ORBAAN (1.35) and the horse named after Jack Grealish, SUPER SUPERJACK (2.45), who was second in a big handicap at the Glorious Goodwood meeting.

The ITV cameras are at Newmarket for the Jewson Sweet Solera Stakes where LAKOTA SIOUX (3.40) is fancied to collect.

This tail-flashing filly ran a blinder against the colts when third in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and a repeat performance will make her very hard to beat today. At Haydock, ELECTRICAL STORM (2.25) is a confident choice to take the class two handicap. He has produced two fine efforts this season and will be suited by the drop back to a mile.

The nap is PLAYDAY (4.10, nap) who bolted up at Leicester and can follow up off a 4lb higher mark.