Sam King is back with two selections on Saturday.
The Betfair Chase is becoming a slightly disappointing spectacle in my opinion, especially given Irish trainers seem to have no interest in wanting to win it anymore.
Grey Dawning looks like the one to beat in that but I'm happy to let him slide at about the even-money mark and my first wager on the card will come in the Betfair Stayers' Handicap Hurdle (2.45).
You have to be wary of the progressive and clearly talented Ma Shantou, but Harry Cobden can't take the ride due to being down at Ascot, while Emma Lavelle's recent stable form of 0-18 in the last fortnight must be a concern.
He could well be good enough to land this off a mark of 138 but with the previously-mentioned reasons I'm happy to take him on with Hartington, who creeps in at the bottom of the weights.
In contrast to Ma Shantou's stable form, Hartington's handler Joe Tizzard could hardly be in any better form and arrives at Haydock operating at a 40% strike rate having saddled a staggering twelve winners from his last 30 runners in the last fortnight. That is some going and exceptional shooting.
An unexposed son of the late Jukebox Jury, he looked in every need of a trip when getting up in the closing stages to deny Florida Dreams by a neck over two and a half at Carlisle on his return to action 20 days ago. These extra six and a half furlongs could bring out bundles more improvement and the booking of the all-conquering Sean Bowen looks like being a tailormade fit for a horse who could take some driving up Haydock's lengthy straight. He still looks well-treated off a mark of 122.
Hartington – 1pt Win
Odds – 6/1
Another trainer operating at a sensational strike-rate of 40% for the last fortnight is Sam Thomas, who pound for pound, must be one of the best handlers in the country in my opinion.
Few are better when it comes to targeting a race and Sam Thomas will surely have had the concluding Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (3.45) in his mind for Shomen Uchi all summer.
He may lack the chasing experience that some of his rivals possess but this French-bred son of Great Pretender looked an absolute natural when beating Lunar Discovery and the 141-rated Butch on his chasing debut at Carlisle in February, jumping soundly throughout before galloping on strongly over what would have been an inadequate two and a half miles.
A winner of a maiden hurdle over nearly three miles on soft ground at Chepstow in March 2023, I've got little worries about him staying this trip over fences, and in all truth, with the first-time tongue-tie applied, a mark of 135 could look extremely lenient come about 3.42 this afternoon.
Shomen Uchi – 1pt Win
Odds – 4/1
