Betting
HAYDOCK PREVIEW | The Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes
Nine go to post in the 7f contest at Haydock on Saturday afternoon
The second of the Group 3 contests at Haydock on Saturday, the John Of Gaunt Stakes sees nine runners clash over seven furlongs at the Merseyside track.
2019 winner SAFE VOYAGE (3/1) heads the market and is dropped in class in the hope that the eight-year-old will rediscover his previous form.
The gelding finished last of 14 runners in the Breeders’ Cup Mile back in November and was uninspiring on his seasonal return, finishing 11th and a distant 36 lengths behind Palace Pier in the Lockinge Stakes two weeks ago.
John Quinn’s servant does carry a 5lb penalty here for his Group 2 Boomerang Mile success back in September but if he is revitalized for this contest, he will be tough to beat.
WITH THANKS (7/2) oozed class in the Athasi Stakes last season, storming to a comfortable five-length victory at Naas back in November.
The four-year-old has been handed a 3lb penalty for that victory but it shouldn’t affect her performance at the Merseyside track on the weekend.
William Haggas’ filly will be hoping for some rain over the coming days, with all three of her career victories coming on heavy ground.
GLORIOUS JOURNEY (11/2) makes his return for Charlie Appleby after a three-month break with plenty to prove.
The five-year-old was becoming fairly consistent at the end of last season, winning the Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes at Newbury and placing in two Group 2 contests at Newmarket and Meydan shortly after.
He did finish fourth in the stc Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia on his last start and he could show further progress in this contest here.
TORO STRIKE (11/2) bounced back to winning ways in a Conditions Stakes at Thirsk last month for Richard Fahey while Clive Cox’s RIVER NYMPH (6/1) has landed victory in two of his three starts on soft ground including an impressive rally to land the Victoria Cup three weeks ago.
NJORD (9/1) makes the step up to Group company for Jessica Harrington and Ralph Beckett’s KINROSS (10/1), who landed the Listed Hyde Stakes at Kempton in November, returns to Britain after a stint in the Middle East.
Tom Dascombe’s BRAD THE BRIEF (14/1) will be aiming to rediscover last season’s form after two underwhelming performance so far this year while QUEEN JO JO (33/1) will need to majorly improve after a poor performance at York for Kevin Ryan.
