Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Taking on A Plus Tard…

Haydock

HITMAN isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, particularly at short odds of 4/9, but I’m inclined to keep the faith in an undemanding assignment to open up ITV’s coverage on Saturday at Haydock (1.50pm). He is a high cruiser who’ll be suited by the track, and his excellent Old Roan second has already taken a hefty boost courtesy of last weekend’s winner Ga Law. No prizes for originality, but I’m not taking him on for the sake of it.

COMPLETE UNKNOWN could be another for Nicholls and Cobden in the valuable three mile hurdle (2.25pm), generously priced at 8/1. He won’t mind the ground – after all, it was pretty revolting when he scooted up in the EBF final when supposedly the stable’s second string, but remarkably well backed. He still looked a raw project last year, and it’s almost inconceivable that he’s reached the limit of his potential at a mark of 135. Chasing would have been the obvious route, but the beady eyed Nicholls might have been sizing up this payday for a while.

PROTEKTORAT might just get a really big moment in the Betfair Chase (3.00pm), where he’s priced 3/1. You know that I’m the President of the A Plus Tard fan club – always have been – and I hate to desert him, but I think he’s either really good or bloody brilliant and that he falls into the latter category when the emphasis is more on pace than all-out war. Very soft ground just knocks the edge off his natural brilliance and could bring the others into the game. By contrast, the still unexposed Protektorat raises his game a notch or two for really deep conditions and will be fully tuned to take advantage.

CROSSPARK is a big price at 16/1 in the finale at Haydock and can reward some brave support (3.35pm). Although he’s been off the track for ages, you don’t bring an unfit horse to a race like this, and he’s a dour stayer that’s perfectly well handicapped on the balance of his form More compelling is that he is now with Nick Kent, who has his small string in very good order and who has managed to secure the services of Sean Bowen.

Ascot

SAINT CALVADOS (15/2) is a sporting pick to upset L’Homme Presse at Ascot (2.05pm). The selection is badly in at the weights, is owner ridden, and has far less potential. BUT, he’s too classy a horse for the market to be so one-sided, particularly when connections of the favourite have stressed that this is a pipe opener for bigger targets ahead and when Venetia hasn’t really got rolling yet. Times suggested that the chase course wasn’t riding too soft on Friday, and that’s further encouragement.

CONSTITUTION HILL can’t really be opposed in the Coral Hurdle (2.40pm). Now 1/5, he appears freakish, and it will be bitterly disappointing if he can’t despatch these. With For Pleasure and Goshen in the field, he might even get the perfect set-up.

BOOTHILL looks the one in the two mile handicap (3.15pm), priced at 4/1. He has always had a huge reputation, and there have been signs of a pretty big engine to match. Interestingly, though, all the winning (and running well) has been done at around this sort of trip, hardly surprising for a strong traveller. A good swinging gallop will bring about the best in him and he looked much more the part at Newton Abbot last time. He’s not as good as Edwardstone, but my eyes tell me he’s not 21 pounds worse, and the trainer has become another convert to the skills of Johnny Burke.