Paul Mulrennan Column: my Haydock rides and much more

I ride Azure Blue in the Cecil Frail Stakes at Haydock (Friday) and I’m back across the Pennines on Saturday for five rides. 

What more can be said about Euchen Glen? (3.30) Jim Goldie’s 11-year-old has been a fantastic servant over the years and is a testament to not only himself, but also his trainer. ‘Big Alan’ finished a close third to The Grand Visir in this race back in 2018 and was successful in the prestigious Old Borough Cup in 2020. 

Haydock was hit by a deluge earlier this week, so the ground has fallen firmly in his favour. There were many positives to take from the Buttonhook at Hamilton, so we’re hopeful of another positive performance. 

I was aboard when

Makarova

(1.50) won the Listed Land O’Burns Stakes at Ayr last summer. She’ll enjoy the ground conditions in the Betfred Temple Stakes and, although one of the outsiders, is a thoroughly likeable mare. She demonstrated her natural talent when finishing a close fourth in last year’s Nunthorpe Stakes and gave a good account of herself at Longchamp on her most recent appearance. Ed Walker has started the season well, so it is fantastic to have the opportunity to partner this mare again. 

Close Connection

(4.10) won a six-furlong novice on seasonal reappearance at Pontefract. That form has been franked by the fourth (Own Accord), and our lad has come out of the race well. He switches to handicapping from an opening mark of 76 in a competitive contest featuring many other recent winners. He’ll appreciate these underfoot conditions though, so hopefully there’s further improvement to come.  

Abduction

(3.00), contests the seven-furlong (0-90) handicap. A winner at Wolverhampton last October, he has yet to click since returning to action. The combination of soft ground, coupled with his current mark (88) is likely to prove beyond him. 

Martin Todhunter’s Molinari (4.45) competes the book. He is without a win since the summer of 2022, but has slipped to a fair mark and was keeping-on in fourth over a shorter trip at Newcastle last time. He’ll cope fine with the soft ground. 

Positive tactics and a change of headgear (blinkers) worked wonders for Lord Abama at Thirsk. He had fallen steadily in the weights prior to last Saturday’s race - first attempt in a Class 6 - so hopefully, he remains on a competitive mark despite being nudged up 5lbs to a rating of 64. Lord Abama was placed on numerous occasions last year from marks in the high 60s/low 70s, so I’d like to think that we can sneak another win. Michael’s horses are fit and healthy, a fact best illustrated by his four-timer on that Thirsk card.  

I have kept chipping away over the past fortnight and I’m satisfied with headline statistics of 7 wins from 44 rides. The past seven days yielded a double at Thirsk, and a winner each at Carlisle and Ayr. On the flip side, I do have days off forthcoming with a couple of short suspensions to serve. 

Riding commitments have meant that I haven’t had an opportunity to take a thorough look over the final field for the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas. However, you’d have to say that should Rosallion reappear in the same form as at Newmarket, he’d take all the beating.