Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Give Myretown another chance at Haydock
William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews a busy Saturday of action from Ascot, Haydock, Wincanton and Gowran Park.
Haydock’s card features the William Hill Half A Mill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase, where a few of the fancied runners will be hoping to tee up a shot at the £500,000 bonus at Aintree in April.
Ascot, Saturday
THOMAS MOR put in a good performance last time to finish second to Kitzbuhel at Kempton and I thought he should take the beating in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase (1:50pm). Wendigo, who finished third in that, has won since, as has the fourth-placed horse, Salver, so it looks like strong form. Thomas Mor finished fifth in the Albert Bartlett on soft ground back in 2023, so he should cope with the likely testing conditions at Ascot.
In a competitive two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (2:25pm), I thought LIGHTINGUPOURDAYS might be a bit of value. It was his first run in 11 months when finishing third at Hereford in December, and before that he had also finished third in a good Newbury handicap. He has form in the conditions, and I think he should improve for his Hereford run.
In the Swinley Handicap Chase (3:00pm), JIPCOT might be able to back up a good win at Leicester last time out. He’s gone up eight pounds for that, but it was a step back in the right direction and Jonjo’s [O’Neill] seem in better form now. He finished third to Titan Discovery in a competitive Windsor handicap on soft ground last January, so conditions shouldn’t be a problem. I thought he might go well in what looks a really competitive race.
The Grade 1 Ascot Chase (3:35pm) looks a good opportunity for Jonbon but it might not be as straightforward as the market suggests. It’s a nice stepping stone to the Festival for Jonbon, and the step up in trip should benefit him, but I’m not sure ground this soft would be his preference. There is probably also a slight question about the form of his Clarence House win last time, with Il Etait Temps and Gidleigh Park running flat. PIC D’ORHY has won this race for the last two years and this is his Gold Cup for the season. He ran a big race when second to Djelo in the Charlie Hall at the beginning of the season, over a trip that probably would have stretched his stamina. While Pic D’Orhy might also not want the ground as soft as it is going to be, I don’t think there is as much between them as the market suggests, and the value looks to be with last year’s winner.
Haydock, Saturday
KABRAL DU MATHAN looks a very solid favourite for the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle (2:05pm). He’s put in two very smart performances this season since returning to action after a wind operation. Haydock is the ideal place to step up to three miles for the first time, as it’s an easy three miles, albeit the ground is going to be very testing. He has form on soft ground, when finishing second in a competitive Windsor handicap last season, so he should handle conditions. He’s shaping up as a horse with a lot of potential. Whether he is a Stayers’ Hurdle horse remains to be seen, but this is a good chance to see where they stand with him, and he should take a lot of beating here.
In the Grade 2 Prestige Novices’ Hurdle (2:40pm), UBATUBA caught my eye. He’s won on soft and heavy ground in his two starts to date, both times at Leicester, and form on the ground counts for a lot, especially over three miles. He had Starzand, who has some good form in the book, a dozen lengths behind him last time, so it looked a strong performance. I thought he might just have gone under the radar a bit here.
I’m sticking with MYRETOWN in the William Hill Half A Mill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase (3:15pm). He fell first time out this season in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury and on the back of that finished fourth in the Peter Marsh at this track. They didn’t go overly quick in that race last time and it turned into a bit of a sprint. However, he was only beaten just over three lengths, despite making a bad mistake at the third last. I think that mistake came on the back of moving from third gear to fifth gear. Over three-and-a-half miles on soft ground, I think they will go an even pace, and that will turn it into the true test of stamina that he needs.
Wincanton, Saturday
ALEXEI won the Greatwood on soft ground earlier in the season and it was a good run off top-weight at Ascot last time. The ground is likely to be very testing at Wincanton, but I think he will cope with conditions, whereas his main market rival, Rubaud, was beaten nearly 20 lengths in this race two years ago on his only encounter with heavy ground. Alexei is only a six-year-old and still has plenty of scope for improvement.
Gowran, Saturday
Impaire Et Passe is having his first run of the season in the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase (3:40pm) and I think he could be worth taking on with SA FUREUR. While this is his first start over fences since winning the Listed Foxrock Handicap Chase in December 2024, he comes here after recent runs over hurdles and gets a good bit of weight from Impaire Et Passe. The form of his last run, when finishing two lengths behind Zanoosh in Navan last time, has been well advertised by the winner since. He might be the one to side with.
