Jake Price’s Saturday Racing Tips at Haydock and Carlisle

This week’s NAP comes from Haydock, where title challenger Dan Skelton looks to hold very strong claims with Playful Saint.

Last season this 9yo enjoyed a fairly productive campaign, finishing 2nd to Love Envoi (145) at Sandown, before bolting up by 12 lengths at Leicester off a mark of 128. He was then a good 3rd behind Iceo (143) in the Imperial Cup at Sandown but was not seen for the rest of the season. He returned after a year off the track earlier this month when finishing a very eye-catching 2nd in a Qualifier for this final at Stratford when only beaten a neck by Milldam, but he will be 1lb better off at the weights here and will now have fitness on side.

I’d imagine this race would have always been in mind for the Skelton team who are pot hunting to try and win the Trainers Championship.

The Carlisle opener looks to provide Sleeping Satellite with a prime opportunity to get off the mark in Handicap company.

This Donald McCain 6yo was a decent Novice last season with a victory over this course and distance to his name last February, and this year I thought he’d be able to kick on in Handicaps but that is yet to quite transpire. His 4th behind Park Annonciade (118) doesn’t read too badly now, but most eye-catchingly he was a very good 2nd to Rare Middleton (121) at Doncaster on his latest start – which makes his unchanged mark of 108 look quite lenient. William Maggs jumps aboard here to take off a further 6lbs, and as such I make him a strong bet to come out on top in what looks like quite a weak race.

This looks like a usually open renewal of the Stayers Series Final, but I thought that at the bigger prices Pichana looked worth chancing from an each/way perspective.

Although a 10yo now, this Richard Phillips charge is very lightly raced with only six Hurdle starts to his name – so his age certainly shouldn’t be a barrier to running well here, and indeed it hasn’t been over his last few starts. Last Spring he improved bundles for stepping up in trip to 3m for the first time when beating Trincomalee (130) by a length at Warwick, but then he wasn’t seen again until Newbury last month.

Like Playful Saint, he made his return in a Qualifier for this series Final, and he ran a brilliant race after such a long absence to finish 4th behind Emitom (137) and Kyntara (134), under quite a sympathetic ride. I’d imagine one eye was always on this race, and as such he looks a big enough price to at least hit the frame.