Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Haydock, Ascot & Kempton preview

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck previews Saturday’s ITV Racing action, including the Group One Sprint Cup from Haydock.

Haydock, Saturday

SPARKS FLY can spring a minor surprise in the TV opener and Top Price Guarantee race at Haydock Saturday (1.15). Although she was last of five on her most recent start, nine furlongs at the Curragh stretched her stamina to the max, and she is better judged on her form at this trip, where she can be very dangerous if allowed to get loose on the lead. Looking at the opposition, that scenario is entirely possible, a little cut in the ground will help, and she really has relatively little to find on official ratings.

MASTER BUILDER looks ready for another step up in the three-year-old staying handicap (1.50). He has progressed sharply from his debut, and ran very well to finish third in a warm Melrose, when caught just a little out of his ground. This comes soon enough, but the yard remains in excellent form, William Buick takes over, and his stamina is guaranteed, unlike one or two of his market rivals.

KNIGHTSWOOD might finally have his day in the Old Borough Cup (2.25). Desperately unlucky at Goodwood, he was then hiked up in trip at York, and appeared neither to quite get home nor to really get a grab of the track. This intermediate distance looks spot on, and he looks well drawn to make the most of more forcing tactics.

SHAGRAAN is another who can bounce back to his Goodwood effort in the Be Friendly handicap (3.00). He followed that win over the minimum with a very creditable run against a much deeper group of older horses at York, and even that puts him bang there. Add Oisin Murphy into the mix and – back to the bare 5 – he must run well again provided there are no draw bogeys.

INISHERIN can show what he is made of in the Sprint Cup (3.35). Pace looks to favour those drawn high, and he should get a lovely draft into the race from July Cup runner-up Swingalong. Inisherin never looked on an even keel on an undulating fast track that day, and this more conventional test can see him return to his Ascot best.

Ascot, Saturday

THE WIZARD OF EYE can enjoy another good day at Ascot (1.35). It was an inspired move to come back in trip and ride him chilly in the Victoria Cup, and he followed that up with a very good run (not unfancied) in Group One company. This is much less competitive than either of those races, and he has his ideal pace set-up. A mark of 102 has never flattered him at any stage of his career, and you could easily argue he’s in the form of his life.

KAMBOO can follow up his Newcastle success (2.10). He landed a little touch that day in a warm Racing League event, and the form was broadly franked a week later. Although his form is all on the all-weather, he’s had no real shot to prove himself in a suitable turf race, and there are quite a few clues in the pedigree that softish ground could suit really well.

Kempton, Saturday

KALPANA gets the nod in Kempton’s September Stakes (2.35). She’s on her way to a Group One on Champions Day, which is easy to fathom when you look at her two most impressive victories this season. She gets huge allowances here as a three-year-old filly, comes in here in great heart, and against a favourite who ran a very rare poor race last time.

HELM ROCK might have saved his best for the biggest occasion in the London Mile final (3.15). He’s now fully a stone lower than at the beginning of the year, but there have been at least a couple of recent efforts that suggest he really hasn’t deteriorated appreciably. This was particularly true at Wolverhampton, where he would have been very close to Longlai but for an interrupted passage.