Candy sprint double at Haydock?

Black type races and hot handicaps all over today, but the main events are at Haydock where we expect Henry Candy to land a big sprint double with Music Master (Fergus Sweeney) over 5 furlongs at 16.10 CET and Limato (Graham Lee) at 16.45 in the Group Two race for 3yo´s over 6 furlongs. Candy has a well-deserved reputation for his handling of top sprinters and Limato, unbeaten in 5 races so far, seems destined to go right to the top. Anotjnher Trainer who can alnd a big race double here is Roger Varian, who saddles Talmada (William Buick) in the fillies Group Three at 15.00 and Aljamasheer (Paul Hanagan) in the 7 furlongs race at 15.35. Talmade showed much improved form when chasing home the smart Secret Gesture at York last time and a repetitiion of that form should be good enough here; Aljamasheer was one of several runners in this field who were unplaced last time in the Group One Lockinge at Newbury, but we feel that he can improve on that form over this shorter trip.

At York the listed race over 1 3/4 miles at 15.20 could lie between Elidor (Mick Channon/ Martin Harley), up in grade after winning a good handicap at Newmarket and running over his ideal trip, and Red Galileo (Ed Dunlop/ Andrea Atzeni), who has the better form but has not won for a long time and is up in distance; however with our favourite jockey on board , he gets our vote. The handicaps here look too difficult to predict, but we expect David O´Meara to win the ooener over 6 furlongs at 14.45; however as he has 5 of the 16 runners it is still not easy- perhaps top-weight Louis the Pious (Shelley Birkett) could be the answer.

Our main fancy at Chester is Chookie Royale (Keith Dalgleish/ Andrew Mullen) in the 7 1 /2 furllongs handicap at 16.00; a toigh front-runner on the all-weather, he is much better handivapped on turf and may be able to stay this trip on this easier track. At Newmarket, Richard Hughes can take the listed rave azt 15.456 on the Queen´s Peacock (Richard Hannon).

8 meetings today

There are no fewer than 8 meetings today in the U.K. and Ireland, with Newmarket, Newcastle and Brighton racing on the flat tjhis afternoon, and Haydock and Catterick this evening, while in Ireland there are two N.H. evening meetings at Down Royal and Tramore, but it must be said that the level of racing at all these meetings - even Newmarket - is low.

The most interesting card is at the evening meeting at Stratford which concentrates on Hunter Chases, and some of the top British hunter chasers are running. This is especially true of the Foxhunters Champion Hunter Chase over 3 1/2 miles at 21.00 CET, in which Paint the Clouds (warren Greatrex/ Sam Waley-Cohen), will attempt to follow up on his easy win in this event a year ago. He faces a very strong opponent in Pacha du Polder (Paul Nicholls/ William Biddick), who finished runner-up to the top Irish hunter chaser On The Fringe at Aintree; on his previous run On the Fringe had been a very easy winner of the Cheltenham Foxhunters with Paint the Clouds a long way back in third, so collateral form suggests that the Nicholls runner be preferred. We are not so sure, as Paiint The Clouds has since run really well at Sandown in a much tougher race, and his CD form possibly gives him the edge.

The Newmarket card is of course not totally devoid of interest with most of the top jockeys there and we would not be surprised to see Ryan Moore amo0ng the winners. He has 5 rides booked and they all seem to have chances, although in the 7 furlongs handicap at 16.35 we just prefer oldtimer Santefisio (Keith Dalgleish/ James Doyle).

Best evening meeting of the year at Sandown

6 meetings again today, but by far the most interesting is the evening fixture at Sandown, generally regarded as the best evening meeting of the whole year and featuring two group races and two listed. Unfortunately the ground is firming up, which could have quite an influence on the results.

The Brigadier Gerard Stakes over 10 furlongs at 20.45 CET has only 5 runners, but is still a very competitive affair. Arab Spring (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore) is still improving and won his first start this season in good style at Newbury; however this Monsun 5yo may find this trip on fast ground a bit sharp. The very lightly-raced Eagle Top (John Gosden/ Frankie Dettori) finished fourth in the King George last year but has not raced since, while Gosden´s other runner Western Hymn (James Doyle) is a CD specialist who won the Gordon Richards here a month ago; however this looks tougher, and the really interesting runner is Tryster (Charlie Appleby/ William Buick), who has shown tremendous improvement this year, winning all 5 starts, all on the all-weather including the valuable Easter Classic. If he can translate that form to the turf, he could go right to the top.

The Henry II Stakes at 20.10 over 2 miles is often a good trial for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, and Irish challenger Simenon (Willie Mullins/ Ryan Moore) finished a close second there in 2013 and fifth again last year. He is also a smart hurdler but has been campaigned exclusively on the flat for the past 2 years, usually with Moore aboard when available. Forgotten Voice (Nicvky Henderson/ Jamie Spencer) is also a good hurdler but his flat form is inferior to that of Simenon. Trip to Paris (Ed Dunlop), who won the Chester Cup last time, and Vent de Force (Hughie Morrison/ Richard Hughes) are improving 4yo´s who are expected to break through Into the top staying ranks this year. They still have to prove it however and for the time being we prefer the known ability of Simenon; the fact that he is having his first run for ten months is no problem with this trainer, who is presumably aiming him at the Gold Cup once more.

The listed National Stakes over 5 furlongs at 19.35 is the hottest 2yo race of the year so far in the U.K.- all 9 runners are winners, 5 of them unbeaten, and we shall certainly see several of them again at Royal Ascot; the race must be watched with that end in view, but is too tricky for us to predict. The listed race for 3yo´s over a mile at 21.15 has also attracted a good field. Consort (Stoute/ Moore) won his only race so far so impressively that he could well defy this considerable leap in class:; the stable´s runners usually need their first start of the season, but this one could be the exception. He is entered in the Derby - won´t run there obviously - and the St. James´s Palace at Royal Ascot, which indicates the high regard in which he is held.