Lancashire Oaks at Haydock Park

Away from Sandown, the best racing today is at Haydock, where the Group Two Lancashire Oaks for 3yo and older fillies and mares at 15.50 CET is the main feature. Barshiba (David Elsworth/ Hayley Turner) won this last year and can score again; her third place to the smart Harbinger at Royal Ascot was good form. Clowance (Roger Charlton/ Jamie Spencer) would be a big danger on her best form, but she normally needs soft ground to show this and has repeatedly been a non-runner when conditions were wrong. CD specialist Les Fazzani (Kevin Ryan/ Paul Hanagan) would also prefer more juice in the ground, although she just holds Pollys Mark (Clkive Cox/ Richard Hughes) on her latest running here. More dangerous could be the 3yo Champagnelifestyle (Barry and Michael Hills),10th in the Oaks (the real one) last time, and especially Irish raider Grace O´Malley (Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen), whose stable is in superb form and who won a similar race at Cork last time.

Hayley, who is riding at Munich tomorrow, also has a chance of winning the top handicap here, the Old Newton Cup at 16.25, on Ed Dunlop´s Red Cadeaux, who was badly hampered last time in the Chester Cup; this trip of 1 1/2 miles is in case more suitable. Red Merlin (Clive Cox/ John Fahy) won this event last year, and although unplaced in all starts since, could well land the double, while bottom-weight, the much improved Hanoverian Baron (Tony Newcombe/ David Probert) has been heavily backed and is another big danger.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Berling - Bowdler`S Magic - Anhar
2. Race: Barshiba - Polly`S Mark - Les Fazzani
3. Race: Hanoverian Baron - The Fonz - Submariner
4. Race: Bated Breath - Living It Large - Confessional
5. Race: Genki - Global City - Captain Dunne
6. Race: Hazelrigg - Foxy Music - Misaro
7. Race: Yabtree - Soho Theatre - Ninth House