Nick Luck’s blog: Saint can ensure Sweet success continues

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck casts his expert eye over Saturday’s racing from Musselburgh and Haydock.

Musselburgh, Saturday

BERKSHIRE NUGGET makes most appeal at 11/2 in a TV opener at Musselburgh on Easter Saturday in which every runner can be given some sort of chance (1.50pm). He showed ability in all three qualifying runs, but can hardly have been suited by a drop to 6 furlongs for the final one, and seemed ill at ease round Chester both times. On pedigree, this should be much more up his street, and he’s quite attractively handicapped. The yard looks as though it is about to unleash a torrent of winners.

DARKNESS looks set to run a big race in the Silver Arrow (2.25pm) at 10/1. He’s a terrifically durable horse, who can go fine in bad ground, as he showed when running a stormer at Goodwood last year. He’s now four pounds lower despite never really losing his form. He ran a cracker off a break this time last year, and David O’Meara looks to have his turf horses quite well forward.

GLORIOUS ANGEL is quite a strong fancy at 5/1 to go well in the Scottish Sprint Cup (3.00pm). Her runs on genuinely soft or heavy ground have all been excellent, and she’s lucky to be racing off an unchanged mark following her very creditable effort out of her depth in the Cammidge. A useful apprentice takes a further five pounds off, and this looks her shot at a big pot.

SWEET FANTASY definitely has more to offer for her new trainer, and can win the Queen’s Cup (3.35pm) at 5/1. Undefeated in her last four starts on soft ground, she was firmly on the up when last seen on the Flat, and might easily have improved again given the ease with which she won her most recent hurdle race. Given those exploits, this new trip could easily be within her compass now as well, offering hope for yet more progress.

Haydock, Saturday

PLAYFUL SAINT can take the first of the televised Challenger Finals at Haydock (2.05pm) at a fair price of 4/1. He lost out in a tussle with Milldam last time, but that was his first run for ages and he’s entitled to improve a bit for that. The ground will be fine, and the stable is holding its form well after its golden Festival.

PICANHA must be a nightmare to train, but he retains plenty of ability judged on his comeback run at Newbury, when he looked the likeliest winner before the final flight (2.40pm). That run should have set him up nicely, and he can make the most of the mercy shown to him by the handicapper for his monster lay-off, at odds of 13/2.

NUMITOR looks the answer to the veterans’ race (3.15pm) at 7/2. He was a fine second on this card two years ago, and is now fully a stone lower. His record on flat left-handed tracks over fences is 121232, with every effort reaching a standard way in advance of this mark. He only faded late up the hill at the much less suitable Exeter on his comeback, and he looks poised to strike.