Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Rashabar should be about half the odds in the Irish Guineas

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck previews a packed day of top-class racing, with action from Haydock, Goodwood, Beverley, and the Curragh.

William Hill are Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am daily across all UK and Irish racing.

Saturday, Haydock

EMPIRESTATEOFMIND might be worth a small each-way interest in the TV opener at Haydock on Saturday (1.15). He’s quickly returned to a mark near enough his York win last backend but looked highly unfortunate not to finish closer on his turf seasonal debut at Doncaster in a better race. He’s beautifully drawn for a pace-pusher, and his chance depends heavily on the forecast rain materialising. If it does, he has a solid chance at big odds.

TILTED KILT is again a big-odds each-way play in the Silver Bowl (1.50). He lacks the unexposed profile of a few, but he is steadily progressive and should be well suited to a drop in distance, particularly if the pace is honest. He is drawn well enough to save some ground, and any rain will help his cause on the evidence to date.

DIAMOND RAIN has a good chance of a winning comeback in the Hedge of Oak (2.25). She looked most striking on her second start at Newbury before something went amiss at Ascot. Considering the absence and very soft ground, her autumn return was respectable, and this looks a good opening—particularly as you never mind opposing the mercurial Running Lion at cramped odds.

ARABIAN DUSK looks way overpriced in the Sandy Lane (3.00). A Group 2 winner and Cheveley Park third, she has excuses for both starts this year: a non-stayer in the Nell Gwyn before a rough trip on the synthetic at Chelmsford—a run nowhere near as bad as the form figure suggests. A return to turf over six furlongs with cut in the ground should enable her to give of her best. If she does, she’s a huge price.

MGHEERA is the answer to the Temple Stakes (3.30). Smart when trained in France, she appeared to better that on stable debut when returning to her homeland to win a Group 3 quite impressively. This won’t take much more winning, there will be a nice pace on with Washington Heights blazing away, and she won’t mind what the weather does.

Saturday, Goodwood

BEST RATE must have a fine chance in Goodwood’s curtain-raiser (1.30). Nicely drawn to track the speed, he’ll be hoping for better luck than in a seriously competitive race at York. He’s only been nudged up for that, and a repeat would see him right on the premises.

SEAPLANE is interesting in the Cocked Hat (2.05). There wasn’t much behind his Newmarket romp, and his Futurity fourth is the best horse in the race. Sibling Sumo Sam recorded a career-best over 14 furlongs on this track, and he’s a strong contender to have them all on the stretch from some way out—particularly with a breathing operation in the books.

TRAD JAZZ is well worth another chance in the Height of Fashion (3.15). She’s still in the Oaks and, while that may look fanciful, time may tell that trying to match strides with the monster physique of Fakaleyah in the Pretty Polly was optimistic. No such freakish contenders here, and she can build on her early promise.

Saturday, Beverley

ANGEL NUMBERS looks best equipped to break the Nick Bradley apparent stranglehold on the Hilary Needler (2.10). She made short work of a modest field on her debut but did so in really striking fashion. There are lots of stakes winners in the pedigree—and ones with plenty of speed.

OLD IS GOLD will be very hard to beat in the colts’ equivalent (2.45), coming out of the golden Ascot form line that was boosted hard by the second’s Haydock victory yesterday.

Saturday, Curragh

RASHABAR should be about half the odds in the Irish Guineas (3.40) and can repay the faith of his trainer, having finished well ahead of Field of Gold in the Lagardère, and was very unlucky not to win the Morny. We know he’s going to be much fitter than at Newbury, and even that run looks way better given the subsequent run of Jonquil in France.