With the easy ground everywhere, a day for minimum stakes...
The Rose Of Lancaster (Haydock 2:30) looks like a race to avoid. The unbeaten three year old Laraaib needs to find a few pounds to challenges his elders stepping up from handicap company; however, the best of the elders, Autocratic, was withdrawn from a race at York because of easy ground, has a dreadful record on such going and cannot be backed with confidence.
Sir Michael Stoute may fair better in the following handicap, but El Cap has not been done any favours by the handicapper, being raised 3lb for defeat at Beverley where the jockey may have been to blame.
The Dick Hern (Haydock 3:35) looks like a penalty kick for Pouliches runner-up Sea Of Grace but is priced accordingly. Roly Poly has subsequently reversed that Group 1 form with her suggesting she has not progressed.
At HQ, Anythingtoday looks like another penalty kick, provided that two races in a week are not too much for him.
In the Sweet Solera (3:40), the choice is between the form filly Dance Diva (provided that the extra furlong is not an issue) and the potential of Poetic Charm, a debut winner with two of today's rivals behind. I think I will pass.
The handicap at 4:50 has a weight range of just four pounds but at the bottom of it TAFAAKHOR won last time over course and distance and has potential front-runner Plutonian (on handicap debut) and disappointing Wood Ditton winner Night Circus (now gelded) to beat.
