Haydock today

Haydock is the top U.K. meeting today, with the Group Two Temple Stakes at 16.00 CET as the main feature. This is always one of the best 5 furlong races of the season, and the likely favourite is Irish challenger Sole Power (Eddie Lynam/ Paul Hanagan), who won this in 2011 and the Nunthorpe the previous year. He has his ideal conditions today and, granted luck in running, we think he will win. He was very unlucky when a close third in the Abbaye last October and expect him to reverse the form with the winner Tangerine Trees (Bryan Smart/ Tom Eaves). More dangerous could be Bated Breath (Roger Charlton/ George Baker), twice runner-up to Dream Ahead in top sprints in 2011 and from a stable in great form; his problem could be that he is better at 6 furlongs - and indeed virtually untested at the minimum trip- and that he always runs well without winning. Also dangerous could be the two 3yo´s in the field, especially the filly Best Terms (Richard Hannon/ Kieren O´Neill), who sta rted off 2011 with 4 wins, including the Queen Mary and the Lowther, and is now brought back to sprinting after failing to stay a mile.
The other 7 races at Haydock are all handicaps (!!!) and all look very tricky indeed. Four we fancy are the Queen´s Moidore (Charlton/ Richard Mullen) at 15.00, Ganas (Clive Cox/ Kirby) - heavily backed last time, but his saddle slipped - at 16.30, Midnight Feast (Eve Johnson Houghton/ Paul Hanagan) at 17.05 and Shahzan (Roger Varian/ Andrea Atzeni) at 17.40.
There is decent racing at the other meetings as well, and Frankie Dettori and Saeed bin Suroor can combine to land a double at York with Saamidd at 15.35 and Cavalryman at 16.10, while Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore can do the same at Goodwood with Fiorente at 15.45 and Sea Moon at 17.25. Best race at Chester is the 7 furlongs handicap at 17.00 which could go to the top weight Eton Forever (Roger Varian/ Nail Callan).

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Moidore - Last Shadow - Beyond Conceit
2. Race: Gabrial - Frog Hollow - Mabaany
3. Race: Sole Power - Bated Breath - Tangerine Trees
4. Race: Ganas - Ertikaan - Azrael
5. Race: Seeking Magic - Midnight Feast - Klynch
6. Race: Shahzan - Farlow - Al Muheer
7. Race: Afaal - Three Am Tour - Hometown Glory
8. Race: Toymaker - Thackeray - Madam Macie