Weekend racing preview: Starman bids to shine at Haydock

With a week to go until the St Leger at Doncaster, the top quality racing action continues thick and fast this weekend with Haydock, Ascot and Kempton staging excellent racing fare on Saturday.
By OLBG
Published 3rd Sep 2021, 15:39 BST
Tom Marquand riding Starman celebrates winning at Newmarket in July. Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty ImagesTom Marquand riding Starman celebrates winning at Newmarket in July. Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Tom Marquand riding Starman celebrates winning at Newmarket in July. Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

The highlight is the Group One Sprint Cup at Haydock and we have previewed the pick of the action which you can watch live on ITV Racing. If you’re heading racing, we recommend checking out OLBG for more tips.

The feature race of the day is the £275,000 Group One Sprint Cup at 3.30pm live on ITV Racing at Haydock. Eleven runners go to post for the six-furlong event. The 10/11 market leader is Starman for Ed Walker. The exciting four-year-old won his first two starts of the year, including landing the July Cup at Newmarket. He was far from disgraced when third on slow ground in the Prix Maurice De Gheest at Deauville last time out and will be a different proposition on the quick ground. He looks the likeliest winner and should go very close in this event. His main rivals include 5/1 chance Creative Force who has progressed through the ranks this term, winning four of his six starts. He was second in the Lennox Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood last time out, having previously finished fifth to Starman in the July Cup.

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Art Power (13/2) was fourth to Starman in the July Cup, before being well-beaten in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood last time out, whilst Glen Shiel (9/1) was sixth in the July Cup, before finishing 10th in the Prix Maurice De Gheest.

Other contenders include Emaraaty Ana (18/1) and Chil Chil (12/1) who were second and fifth respectively in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York over five furlongs. Summerghand (16/1), a winner in Listed company last time out and Happy Romance (14/1), a recent Group Three winner is another to note. Supremacy has been bitterly disappointing so far this year, but the three-year-old is clearly capable of further improvement and demands respect in this event.

Elsewhere at Haydock, the likeable eight-year-old Lord Glitters is a worthy 11/8 favourite for the Group Three Superior Mile Stakes at 1.45pm. A fine second to the progressive Real World in the Strensall Stakes at York last time out, he looks sure to go well in this event.

In the opening Listed Ascendant Stakes (1.15pm), one of the most exciting two-year-olds in training, 2.1 million guineas purchase Hafit takes the next step in his progression having made a winning debut at Newmarket last month. He is open to any amount of improvement and is one to note.

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Over at Kempton, the highlight is the £80,000 September Stakes at 2.40pm. Hukum is the class act in the field having captured a brace of Group Three events this term and also boasts winning Polytrack form having scored at Kempton back in November 2019. His main rival is Hamish who makes his return to the track after a 442 day break, but he may need the run.

The highlight at Lavazza Stakes (3.10pm) in which Wahraan is one to note having won his first two starts this term before finishing fifth at York on his latest start. He is taken to take another step forward and win the feature.

ITV Racing selections

1.45pm Haydock - Lord Glitters

2.05pm Kempton - Nymphadora

2.20pm Haydock - Valley Forge

2.40pm Kempton - Hukum

2.55pm Haydock - Global Storm

3.10pm Ascot - Wahraan

3.30pm Haydock - Starman

3.45pm Ascot - Documenting

Related topics:AscotDoncaster