Home Team To Best The Irish Raiders

Haydock Park is where the best action takes place this afternoon. We back two horses in the stayers handicap hurdle.

Third Wind is interesting having finished fourth in the Pertemps final at Cheltenham last March. He travelled well in behind the first and second home that day and held on to finish just ahead of Relegate. It was an excellent first try over three miles in as competitive a handicap hurdle as you could find all season. Before the Cheltenham festival Third Wind won over 2m5.5f at Wincanton on heavy ground. This season he returned with a nice run to finish fifth at Newbury over three miles just tiring on the run in following the final hurdle and carrying top weight of 11-12. Today, the ground and trip are ideal, and he has a nice weight of 10-12 to carry.

The Jam Man travels over having won the Troytown Chase at Navan easier than any winner I have seen in the past twenty years. He could well win but his hurdling mark is a full 19lbs higher than the 129 rating that saw him win the Troytown. It looks significant that trainer Ronan McNally has booked a claimer, so he obviously feels he has a "highish" mark. Relegate jumps slowly so is passed over too at such a short price.

Ask Dillon is too big a price not to back with proven form on soft ground and over three miles. He fell on his chasing debut at the Cheltenham showcase meeting and quickly reverts to hurdling. Last season, Ask Dillon showed he can win a valuable staying handicap when runner up to Limited Reserve in a Grade 3 handicap at Sandown run on heavy ground. He almost fell over the final hurdle but got going again to claim second place giving the winner 17lbs.

Ask Dillon won his point to point on heavy ground so should be at home at Haydock. Conor Brace is good value claiming 3lbs with Ask Dillon thought highly enough to run in the Grade 1 stayers’ hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. There could be more improvement in this lightly raced 7-year-old representing in-form trainer Fergal O’Brien.

Haydock - 2:25

0.5 Point EACH WAY Third Wind (13/2 Skybet, Paddy Power & William Hill, paying 6 places )