Katie Midwinter: my five best bets for Saturday

This three-year-old colt has been running well over a mile, consistently placing, but often coming up short in the final furlong. The drop in trip should allow him to see out the race to better effect, and he’s on a workable mark of 89 with Alec Voikhansky taking off another 3lb. He looks great each-way value at double-figure odds. 

Guaranteed to love the testing conditions at Haydock, this could be the time to catch Vadream. She is up against formidable opponents in the likes of Live In The Dream and Asfoora, but the soft ground will take the emphasis away from speed for the former, and the latter may well improve for her first outing in the Northern Hemisphere. Vadream has the benefit of two recent runs, both of which were on good ground, and will have the fitness edge with conditions to suit. 

The Zoustar colt showed a great level of ability as a juvenile, including when winning a Group Three and placing in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He faces a tough task against his older rivals in this competitive sprint but receives the weight-for-age allowance and should improve plenty for his opening run at Ascot. The Ralph Beckett yard is in better form, too, than when he was seen in the Commonwealth Cup Trial. 

Making his eleventh start at the track, course-and-distance winner Zip will thrive in the testing ground in familiar surroundings. He is consistent and has been running well this year in competitive sprints. Back down to his last winning mark of 87, the trip will suit this popular eight-year-old. 

The quick ground expected at The Curragh should make Rosallion hard to beat as he attempts to go one better than his second-placed finish in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket this month when he had stablemate Haatem behind. He is the class act in the field over this trip with his main market rival, River Tiber, yet to run over further than 6f.