Saturday Placepot picks: Jack Nicol's Haydock guide

The ground is set to be very testing at Haydock so finding selections who will cope with the testing conditions will be imperative.

Tim Easterby's Candonomore boasts course-and-distance form on soft ground and therefore looks a logical starting point. The Almanzor colt won comfortably on handicap debut that day and looks to have more to offer from a mark of 81, albeit he may prove at his best going up in trip as the season progresses.

Blue Lemons bumped into a useful and stubborn rival when failing to reel in the progressive Hand Of God at Sandown last time out but I rate that form highly and Blue Lemons only went up 1lb for that excellent effort. He is another who holds winning form on soft ground and has a significant jockey upgrade with James Doyle taking over in the saddle.

Selections: Candonomore & Blue Lemons

It will be interesting to see how Asfoora fares here on her first start in the UK. The Australian mare boasts solid Group form in her native country as well as on easier ground. 

She is best watched for now with Beautiful Diamond taken as the main selection. Karl Burke won this last year with a three-year-old filly and he will have high hopes of repeating the trick 12 months on with another progressive filly. Beautiful Diamond was narrowly beaten on her return in the Palace House at Newmarket earlier this month, racing keenly but responding well for pressure and only being caught in the dying strides. She re-opposes with Seven Questions Vadream and Kerdos here but I think she has the most scope for improvement this season.

Equality held his own in Group One races at the end of last term and could be one to outrun his odds at a big price. He is a former course-and-distance winner and kicked off his campaign with a cosy handicap victory at Musselburgh last month.

Selections: Beautiful Diamond & Equality

Vandeek is likely to be the cornerstone for many playing this week. His connections have to be commended for making a decision at the end of last season and outlining their aim of targeting a sprinting campaign as opposed to trying to make him into a Guineas horse. The colt was so impressive with Group One victories in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes and really should be making a winning reappearance.

In the event Vandeek bombs out, which would see the pot swell massively, it could be wise to add Esquire as I feel that he can fare best of the rest. He won the Greenham over seven furlongs on reappearance but raced keenly throughout and certainly won't have any trouble dropping back in trip on a testing surface. He clearly improved over the winter and I really like the way he knuckled down in the closing stages at Newbury.

Selections: Vandeek & Esquire

I am a huge fan of English Oak and think he is well-handicapped from a mark of 90. 

Versatile over trips from 6f to a mile, he goes over 7f here and that won't be a problem. A bigger concern would be the ground but he seemed to handle it well when finishing second at Newmarket last time out and should come on appreciably for that seasonal reappearance.

Further down the line, I see him as a big player in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot but he would need to be winning this and winning well to see him go up high enough in the handicap to get in at Ascot. Currently rated 90, he'd need to go up 5-6lb so a big performance here is necessary for connections if they are wanting to dust their top hats off.

Selection: English Oak

Law Of The Sea finished fourth in last year's Chester Cup before finishing second in this race on his next start. This year, he finished third in the Chester Cup consolation and so connections will be hoping this means he will be winning here having followed the same route onto Haydock. The four-year-old is 1lb lower than his effort in this last year, is versatile in regards to the ground and another bold showing can be expected from the consistent six-year-old.

Consistent is also a word that can be attributed to Divine Comedy and Harry Eustace's mare can carry on her upward trajectory here. The six-year-old certainly doesn't mind any ease underfoot and improved considerably when moving up to staying trips at the backend of 2022. The mile-and-a-half trip at Doncaster on reappearance was as short as she'd want it nowadays but plugged onto the places late on at Town Moor. Up in trip here and with that effort blowing away the cobwebs, she can be taken to be in the shake-up at the business end.

Selections: Law Of The Sea & Divine Comedy

There's a competitive three-year-old handicap over six furlongs to round off proceedings but The Amazon created a good impression when dropping back in trip to score at Windsor on his second start last month. He'd clearly learnt plenty for his debut in a hot Newmarket maiden a fortnight earlier but was much happier at this shorter trip and readily came clear for trainer Tom Tate. An opening mark of 75 looks very fair for this 150,000gns purchase and he can hopefully consolidate that Windsor victory with another bold showing.

Pals Battalion looked to me like he just blew up on seasonal reappearance at Pontefract earlier this month and is worth another chance, especially with the second coming out and winning subsequently. Dropped 2lb for that effort, he is another who looks fairly treated and should be competitive from a rating of 74 this season.

Selections: The Amazon & Pals Battalion