Our pundit and resident website tipster Dave Nevison thinks three runners at Haydock Park are worth a second look on the eve of a Grade One Saturday live on Racing TV. On Friday, enjoy more action from Taunton and the second round of the Bahrain Turf Series.
It looks like an afternoon for sloggers and Mr Harp certainly runs his best races in atrocious conditions.
This nine-year-old has really been a disappointment but looking at many of his efforts it is not difficult to come up with an excuse. He ran very poorly on his final start of last season but didn’t run too badly on his reappearance last time, staying on in the straight but weakening after the last.
I backed him in a much better race than this over this course and distance in February last year and he stayed on well having got going too late. One day he will get going in time to figure in a competitive handicap and I am hoping that Nathan Brennan - who looked like he had the right idea last time - could fire Mr Harp up to at least a place.
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He was backed down to 8-15 last time at Newbury so getting beat into third place - albeit not by much - might go down as disappointing, especially for those who backed him down to those tight odds.
Trainer Ben Pauling has made few errors this season, but trying to stretch Fine Casting’s stamina looks like it might have been one given he was run out of things close home at Newbury and weakened after the last when running well the time before at Cheltenham. Now, the six-year-old drops down to the shortest trip he has tackled this season but on a track that suits his up-with-the-pace running style.
Pauling has sustained peak form for throughout the first half of the season and this competitive race could suit Fine Casting very well. Unsurprisingly the ground at Haydock is heavy, which is ideal.
Brian Hughes doesn’t ride many maiden chasers off bottom weight in handicaps but he might be on exactly the right one in what is set to be a gruelling slog.
Conquredalofeurope has been raised 4lb (1lb out of handicap here) after a really encouraging first run for Donald McCain last time, where a mistake five from home cost him valuable ground but he still stayed on very well to be second.
This 0-145 race represents a fair step up in grade, but I have a feeling the weight he is receiving from his rivals may well be counting double in the closing stages and it is very possible he will be an improved campaigner for this new yard anyway.