The Rose of Lancaster Stakes is the feature ITV race on Saturday’s card at Haydock and Racing Post tipster Graeme Rodway runs you through his best bets.
2.25 Haydock
Dutch Decoy @ 4/1
1pt win
3.00 Haydock
Anmaat @ 5/1
1pt win
4.10 Haydock
Playday @ 7/2
1pt win
Dutch Decoy looks an enticing prospect
Electrical Storm heads the market for the mile handicap (2.25), but it's worth taking him on with the Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained Dutch Decoy, who can continue his good run.
The five-year-old has thrived this summer and won back-to-back handicaps at Hamilton and Newmarket in the space of just two weeks last month. Both of those were easy victories.
Dutch Decoy went up in class in a hot 1m1f handicap at Glorious Goodwood last week and, although he failed to complete the hat-trick, he recorded his highest Racing Post Rating in defeat. He was beaten just two lengths by the winner Ajero in a competitive 16-runner race.
He races off a 2lb higher mark on different ground, but has won on good to soft going in the past and should find this easier than at Goodwood last time. Another bold bid is on the cards.
Anmaat can prove a class apart
The Rose of Lancaster Stakes (3.00) is a typically hot race and impressive Newbury winner Grocer Jack will be many people's idea of the winner.
He should be hard to beat, but makes little appeal at a short price and Anmaat might be the value bet against the red-hot favourite.
Anmaat has been a model of consistency in a short eight-race career, finishing out of the first two only once, and he returned from a long absence to post a personal best at York last time.
Anmaat blew away 21 rivals in the John Smith’s Cup with an impressive turn of foot that day and the form is strong.
The runner-up Achelois has since won in Listed company, while the fourth, tenth and 14th home are also subsequent winners, two of them in hot handicap races.
The selection carried 9st 8lb to victory in that contest and looks well up to making his mark in Group company. The softer ground also won’t be an issue - he has run well on good to soft.
Playday can give you a payday
Ralph Beckett excels with lightly raced three-year-old fillies and he appears to have another rapidly improving female in the shape of Playday, who goes in the 1m21/2f handicap (4.10).
Like many from Beckett's stable this season, Playday has taken time to find her form, but she put it all together when breaking her maiden at the seventh attempt at Leicester last month.
Playday went to the front and never looked like stopping, eventually pulling two lengths clear of the field in relentless fashion, and a 4lb rise in the weights might underestimate that form.
The well-bred daughter of Frankel has loads of stamina in her pedigree and should be difficult to catch if given a similarly forceful ride from the front by jockey Jim Crowley.
The Beckett team has also made a superb start to August and this could be another winner for a stable that now appears to be hitting top form.
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