Two to note from Saturday’s Rose Of Lancaster meeting at Haydock
THE Shergar Cup takes up most of the handicap fun on Saturday, but if you want classy Group action then Haydock is the place to be.
With the Dick Hern and Rose Of Lancaster, it's an afternoon that will provide plenty of clues - and I've got my eye on a couple of exciting prospects.
Dick Hern Stakes
Ummalnar - William Haggas (8-1)
The handicap William Haggas' four-year-old won last time out was taken in similarly impressive fashion by the same stable's Beshaayir last year, a filly who's since gone on to perform creditably at Group 1 level.
Ummalnar will need to find another chunk of improvement if she wants to follow suit, but given how impressive she was at Ascot, that's more than possible.
The drop to a mile clearly made all the difference to her that day and the way she drew clear from a field full of unexposed fillies suggests she has plenty more to offer.
The race looks a hot one, with the exciting Feliciana De Vega making her return from an absence and Miss O Connor unbeaten in both her starts, but Haggas' contender is that little bit more streetwise and could be very difficult to catch.
Rose Of Lancaster Stakes
Raise You - Andrew Balding (12-1)
Andrew Balding's three-year-old look a most exciting prospect when bolting up in Listed company at Newmarket in May, and all eyes were on him in the French Derby a month later.
Unfortunately he was unable to land a blow then but it was a massive field and probably came too soon in his career.
He's been given a fair amount of time to recover since and if progressing from that easy Listed victory, which he should, then he has a massive chance here in receipt of plenty of weight.
Three-year-olds have won three of the last four runnings of this and I expect him to be there or thereabouts at a big price.