Ascot & Haydock selections Saturday 9th May
We have the best of both worlds today with two cracking hurdles race on a mixed card at Haydock and some seriously competitive racing at Ascot, including the Victoria Cup where the headline selection runs. Goblet of Fire was a winner for us in the previous column at Newmarket on Sunday (advised 5/1).
Haydock 12.45: Harbour Lake & Tranquil Sea
Two selections for the opening contest, including the winner of this race in 2025, HARBOUR LAKE.
This evergreen 10yo needs 3m on a flat track and good going and all the variables are in his favour today. He has not had a busy campaign so ought to be at his peak today and he should be able to build on a fair sixth behind Wade Out on Grand National day at Aintree.
He plugged on well enough then, but that was only his second completed start of the season having failed to get home on Cheltenham’s stiffer track. Apart from his brave success in this last year, he was also third in the 2024 renewal and it is easy to see him playing a big role once more.
It is difficult to look past TRANQUIL SEA though who absolutely hosed up at Plumpton recently in the Sussex Stayers Hurdle. The re-application of cheekpieces seemed to have a massive effect that day and as long as they work the oracle again, he can defy a 7lbs rise.
Good going is clearly a must for him too as he won well at the opening Chepstow fixture back in October and he became well handicapped by running continually through the winter on unsuitably soft going.
Haydock 1.15: Tellherthename & Helnwein
Another Skelton shorty in TELLHERTHENAME lines up for the Swinton and I cannot ignore his claims either.
This horse was competing in Grade 1 contests for Ben Pauling a couple of seasons ago, but has had little racing since. A prospective chasing career was put on hold when beaten at Carlisle in October and he clearly met with a small setback as we did not see him again until the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
He was never put into the race with a chance that day, but was only beaten 7l and I think the sharper track here, the faster ground and the benefit of extra fitness will make him very hard to beat.
At more eyecatching odds I will also be following HELNWEIN each-way. He was second for us in this race last season when he confirmed his liking for a strongly run 2m on handicap on decent going. He made a cracking start to last season when second in the Greatwood at Cheltenham.
He should really have won at Newbury in March, but got left in front two out by a faller and idled badly. Expect to see him be delivered late here, but you can ignore his last run at Plumpton as he raced too freely and prominently in first time headgear which is left off today.
Ascot 2.20: Great Acclaim & Mudbir
Very consistent in this sort of contest during 2025 GREAT ACCLAIM showed good signs of coming to hand at Haydock last time and the application of first time visors might just elevate him to success in the Victoria Cup this afternoon.
Although he has won at a mile, I think 7f is his optimum trip and he won twice in a week at Glorious Goodwood and than a Racing League contest at Chepstow last summer. Two placed efforts followed over this course and distance, the latter coming from a mark 2lbs higher than today.
He usually sports headgear, but they were left off for the Lincoln where he seriously underperformed (perhaps the extra distance and the lack of a recent run contributed). They were back on in the form of blinkers at Haydock last month, where he moved menacingly into contention a furlong out before being just outpointed by Cosi Bello. He should have reached peak fitness now and maybe the switch to visors can eke out further improvement.
It is difficult to ignore the claims of MUDBIR, another 7f specialist who remains in the early part of his career. He has won three of his six starts including a competitive handicap at Glorious Goodwood too.
You can ignore his last run at the same track and he as on the wrong side of the course, was continually denied a clear run up the rail and got out too late to make a significant challenge to the winner Darkness. He sported first time cheekpieces that day, and the headgear is retained today. The booking of Oisin Murphy can only be a positive.
Ascot 2.55: Valedictory
If ever there was a sure-fire future winner to come out of a race, it was surely VALEDICTORY who just ran out of time to catch Rathgar at Newbury recently having briefly got outpaced 3f out. I can see this horse progressing through the ranks, potentially to listed or group class by season end and this step up to 12f will help that cause.
He should conspicuous promise in two maidens at the start of his career at Doncaster and Newmarket, but he has looked a slow developer who will surely only start coming into his own now. A 5l win at Chelmsford in the autumn got him off the mark, and whilst that form does not add up to much, I strongly suspect an opening handicap mark of 84 vastly under-rates his potential.
He was put up 3lbs for that run at Newbury, but it looked like he badly needed the experience of a more competitive race in a handicap and he should put that run to good use today.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Harbour Lake – 12.45 Haydock – 7/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt win – Tranquil Sea – 12.45 Haydock – 4/1 Unibet
1pt win – Tellherthename – 1.15 Haydock – 9/4 general
1pt each-way – Helnwein – 1.15 Haydock – 12/1 Bet365, Unibet (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Great Acclaim – 2.20 Ascot – 12/1 William Hill (¼ odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Mudbir – 2.20 Ascot – 9/2 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 6)
2pts win – Valedictory – 2.55 Ascot – 5/4 general
