Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Stick with Pogo in John Of Gaunt

There’s some good racing at Haydock, Chester and Beverley on Saturday and as usual, Nick Luck has cast his eye over it all for us.

Read on for his fancies at all three tracks.

Haydock

TABDEED might be the shout in the TV opener at Haydock on Saturday (1.45pm) at 15/2. We knew plenty about him when with Owen Burrows, but he’s looked a different type of horse in two starts for Archie Watson, travelling much more zestfully. For that reason, it’s well worth trying him down at this minimum trip for the first time, where he may find life a little easier at the business end, particularly with the favourite having blown out on his first start since leaving this trainer.

MAHRAJAAN is the pick at 4/1 in the 12-furlong race (2.20pm). You hardly need me to tell you about the irresistible form of the stable at present, but may want reminding that this one is closely related to Baaeed and has been kept in training by Shadwell after a very progressive three-year-old campaign. There’s every chance he’s better than a handicapper and, although he’s 10 pounds worse with Forza Orta for their Leicester meeting last year, he looked cut from a completely different cloth.

NOON STAR can continue the Stoute form with success in the Pinnacle Stakes (2.55pm) at 9/2. This is a pretty smart filly on her day, but is probably too big a price based on the fact that she hasn’t yet quite fulfilled her potential. The return to a mile and a half should be a major plus, however, and she has a race readiness edge over her most interesting rivals.

POGO could outrun his price of 10/1 in the John Of Gaunt (3.30pm). There are horses with more potential in here – Sunray Major and Laneqash – and some with better recent form – Happy Power and Spycatcher. But Pogo is smart at this trip, sees it out well, and I’m hoping he might get a relatively uncontested lead if adopting his usual tactics. He spent much of the winter in the middle east, and ran perfectly well on the two turf starts.

Chester

FOOLS RUSH IN looks a pretty solid proposition in Chester’s TV feature (3.45pm) at 3/1. There aren’t too many you can really fancy here, but the selection has a superb record at the track and looked as good as ever on his comeback at the May meeting. Over this trip, the ground might have been easy enough for him, and – with a decent draw here – he can stretch his speed to better effect, while Boardman may have to make his way through traffic.

Beverley

YOUR SPIRIT is a quirky enough selection at 18/1 in the Hilary Needler (2.05pm) at Beverley. It’s a bit rare to go for the only unraced one in a nine-horse field, but she was a relatively pricy breeze up horse and it must be significant that David O’Meara is debuting her here with Jason Watson aboard – the trainer is swinging along at 26% with his two-year-olds, and won the National Stakes earlier in the week, so he has plenty to go on.

WOBWOBWOB gets a narrow vote at 9/2 over Ugo Gregory in the big handicap (2.40pm). He looks like he’s been limbering up so far this season over six furlongs, and this trip should suit a bit better – he’s in good heart, was racing away from the action last time and is more than capable of making his mark off this rating.

JM JUNGLE could have a fair bit more to offer in the Two Year Old Trophy (3.15pm) at 5/1. There’s plenty of nice form on offer from the southern tracks here, but the race at Hamilton won by the selection looked fair at the time and has worked out accordingly. In addition, he’s quite a strong, powerful colt who should be well suited by the stiff track and was value for a fair bit more than the winning margin.

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