Sky Bet Sunday Series tips: Goldie fancied to claim bonus

Nic Doggett previews the penultimate meeting in the 2024 Sky Bet Sunday Series at Haydock on Sunday and explains why he expects the £100,000 bonus to be secured by Jim Goldie.

Letsbefrank

and

American Affair

are tremendous adverts for the skills and patience of trainer Jim Goldie. Each has contributed two of the trainer’s five wins in this year’s £1.3m Sky Bet Sunday Series, helping the Scottish handler to the top of the leaderboard - a total of £15,000 (£10k, £3k, £2k) will be paid out to the stable staff of the first three trainers in the Series - and putting connections of both horses firmly in line for the generous £100,000 bonus offered to any horse that wins three races during the series. 

Letsbefrank seemed to stay the new two-mile trip well enough when a close-third at York since his Thirsk win and, though 3lb higher in the at 5.45, this well-bred four-year-old is fancied to raise the roof at Haydock by seeing off Law of the Sea, who represents Sunday Series expert Ian Williams, and bottom-weight Filibustering. 

The meeting gets underway with the at 3.45. Where’s Jeff is respected, but his best form has come on more demanding finishes, so the vote goes to recent Ffos Las winner Night Breeze. The drop in trip might not be ideal but he was ridden prominently last time – beating a horse who has won twice since - and similar tactics here could see him hard to beat. The unexposed pair of Solomon and Temple City may be the biggest dangers. 

Goodwood non-runner Zabeel Road was a five-day entry for the Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Nursery Handicap at 4.15 but connections rely on Kiss My Love and Nad Alshiba Snow, with preference for the first-named. She has had two runs over 5f since winning over this trip at Carlisle in June and should relish the step back up in distance here. The Hamilton winners Educating Rita – who is chasing a hat-trick – and Airspeed are respected, along with the potentially well-handicapped Maximus Alexios, a brother to the 106-rated 7f winner Olivia Maralda. 

At 4.45, the – the charity partner of the Sunday Series this year – can go the way of Angel Hunter who drops in class after performing with great credit in better races at Sandown and Ascot. He’s related to winners over further but has shown plenty of speed so should handle the drop in trip at the main expense of Simon and Ed Crisford newcomer Badge of Honour, Newcastle runner-up Bowen Island and Zayer, who filled that same position at Ffos Las last month. Windsor third Leonardo Drax is also respected. 

A low draw and a quick seven furlongs look ideal for Sunfall in the Sky Bet Request A Bet Fillies' Handicap at 5.15 and she is fancied to get back to winning ways after placed efforts at Chester and Newbury. The in-form trio of Mereside Diva, Key To Cotai and Fair Point are respected, while the in-form jockey Amie Waugh – who picked up Jockey Cup prize money as the leading rider at Thirsk – has a chance of more success on Call Me Ginger in the concluding Sky Bet Club Handicap at 6.45. He’s been out of form for some time but has plummeted down the weights as a result and this 10-time winner should be more of a force now quickly turned out down in grade. 

Given how effective he is over the minimum trip, Call Me Ginger could have run in the preceding Sky Bet, For The Fans Handicap at 6.15. However, his trainer – a certain Mr Jim Goldie – looks to have leading claims in the race already with the aforementioned American Affair, who, as well as two wins, also has a Sunday Series second to his name having filled that position at Hamilton at the start of June. He’s 8lb higher than when winning at Thirsk but he’s from a family that the yard knows well (his grand-dam Class Wan won plenty in the north) and he’s clearly on the up. 

Can the likes of the equally progressive Rhythmic Acclaim, or the re-opposing Jer Batt, spoil the Goldie party? I wouldn’t bet on it.