Saturday Racing Tips at Ascot and Haydock | Jake Price

If there is one Horse other than Royale Pagaille on the Haydock card who is crying out for Heavy ground then it has to be Prince Quali, who finally gets his ideal conditions after two really nice efforts so far this season.

Last season this eight-year-old won twice at Chepstow, firstly on Heavy ground when dispatching of the re-opposing Dr T J Eckleburg, before then beating Sans Bruit (138) on soft ground five weeks later. This season he’s returned to action off a mark of 128, where in two starts he has finished third at Newbury on good to soft, before then finishing a close third behind Kotmask (133) and Scarface (130) at Ascot last month on a very similar surface. Haydock heavy ground should be ideal for him, and the drop back to 2m in a Class Three off a 1lb lower mark can surely see him win this.

I was a big fan of Punta Del Este’s run at Haydock over 2m3f at the end of November, and I think there is more to come from him here in a weaker race now upped in distance.

Last season he proved he handles Haydock heavy ground when winning over 2m3f off a mark of 121, and he ended his campaign with a victory against the odds at Ayr – where he defied an SP of 25/1 when winning going away over 2m5½f. His two runs this season have come over trips shorter than that, and on both occasions, he has come home strongly – especially at Haydock last time where he relatively flew home from the back of the pack to take fourth place behind Steel Ally (143). He finds himself on an unchanged mark of 134, and surely, he is ready for 3m now.

Another Horse to hail from that Punta Del Este 2m3f Handicap Hurdle at Haydock is Kamsinas, who very much has different reasons as to why he should improve.

This really slick jumper absolutely loves decent ground, with his combined record on good to soft or quicker reading 1B1121101. It was almost a surprise then that they even ran him at Haydock last time out, as the ground was officially Soft, changing to Heavy shortly after. Despite the conditions going against him he still ran a belter in fourth place however, and that bodes well for his return to a sounder surface. He finds himself on a mark of 137 now, but his performance at Aintree at the end of October when beating subsequent winner Long Draw (127) would give you hope that he can continue to progress.

* Information correct at time of writing. 18+ only. GambleAware.