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Martin Dixon's Saturday tips: four selections for Haydock
By Martin Dixon
Last Updated: Fri 25 Apr 2025
Top pundit and presenter Martin Dixon makes a case for four selections at Haydock on Saturday - enjoy all the action live on Racing TV.
(Selections first provided to subscribers to the Inside Angle newsletter on Friday afternoon - any odds mentioned were correct at that time).
2.00 Haydock: Into Battle
I think this four-year-old starts the season well handicapped as he had excuses for his final three starts last year. He didn’t act at Goodwood and didn’t quite get home over 1m3f at Kempton plus was unsuited by heavy ground on his final start last season at Epsom.
If you go back to his earlier form, he was fifth in the London Gold Cup at Newbury, one of the strongest three-year-old handicaps of the season.
The race proved to be strong form again, as it always does, and he was also third at Sandown in another contest that worked out well. Those efforts make him very well handicapped off a rating of 80 and I think connections have found the perfect opportunity for him on Saturday.
He also has a good draw at a track that should suit him well plus he won first time out last season, so his record fresh is a positive returning from a break here, and he is my nap of the day.
2.40 Haydock: Skukuza
He was last seen finishing an excellent second in the Britannia at Royal Ascot, and that is obviously a red-hot piece of form from last season. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to injury, but I’m sure connections will be keen to have him ready to rock and roll on his return to action.
He’s a big, scopey horse with huge potential to progress into a pattern performer as a four-year-old this season, and I think that even if he is only 95 per cent fit here, he should be classy enough to defy a rating of 96.
I’m not too worried about the drop to seven furlongs. He’s a son of Blue Point and I think he’s got plenty of pace. He could just be a very good horse.
3.15 Haydock: Afloat
This mare, trained by George Scott, made an eye-catching stable debut at Leicester last time out where she finished mid-division, but was very unlucky not to finish a lot closer.
She travelled powerfully through that contest, and looked to have returned in good form plus she’s on a good handicap mark. She kept suffering traffic problems at Leicester and was very unlucky in the run.
The selection is a hostage to fortune, but the likely strong pace here will play to her strengths, and the way she shaped last time suggests there is plenty of improvement left in her.
5.25 Haydock: Carron
This Charlie Hills-trained three-year-old was well backed and showed a good attitude to win at Wolverhampton on his seasonal return this month, and the way he won that day suggests stepping up to a mile will be in his favour.
I like his inside draw, and he should get a good position in the race plus there are a few contenders here who are likely to strip fitter for the outing, whereas he has the advantage of race fitness, which should stand him in good stead to show further improvement.
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