Baradari will be ready for this

I must admit the main thing for the weekend was Jim Old’s Aldeburgh at Wolverhampton on Friday evening. Obviously you have to be happy with a profit for 8/1 (advised) third but he got there in plenty of time and I was a little disappointed he didn’t go on and win. He did everything right and is perfectly genuine, it’s just that the handicapper has got him. On that evidence there is no reason to suppose he’d win over a mile and half; he’d probably run well again and finish placed again.

I was always certain that Friday’s race would be a betting heat but I don’t feel that way about the big race, the Betfair Chase, at Haydock on Saturday. As I write, Silviniaco Conti is 4/5 and I think he should win, with Ballynagour possibly proving more of a threat than perennial bridesmaid Dynaste. I’m not really into the exchanges, though I’d be tempted to lay Cue Card. To me, he gets three miles on decent ground when a fluent round helps enormously. But, although he has won this race and also the Charlie Hall at Wetherby the other day, he is essentially a two and three-quarter mile horse who gets home over three now and then. He will have to work hard in the straight on Saturday, there will be challengers and, as we know, Haydock can become pretty testing if there is any more rain. It’s not a betting race but Silviniaco Conti should win and personally I wouldn’t be backing Cue Card.

Ascot makes limited appeal but the “Fixed Brush” handicap hurdle at Haydock may reward careful study. Although he cut little ice at Cheltenham or Aintree towards the end of last term, Dan Skelton’s BARADARI had previously beaten Lyvius at Ascot and that is very fair form. He represents Sign Of A Victory, who may well turn out to be Grade 3 or Grade 2 class this season, with about 11st 9lb and I’d fancy him under those circumstances. Skelton is very much a coming trainer and improved Superb Story by several pounds following the horse’s move from Charlie Mann. It was simply unfortunate that he bumped into Old Guard in the Greatwood last Sunday. Again, we may be talking about a Graded-class opponent.

On a quiet day punting-wise, Mr Slevin’s 7lb claim may help Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Templeross considerably in an ordinary-looking bumper which rounds things off at Huntingdon.

Ian