OLD NEWTON CUP CHAMPION CONTENDER

The Coral-Eclipse is the Group 1 this Saturday but with just four runners is not of interest from a betting angle.

Instead, it is Haydock who provide a cracking card of competitive racing. We target the Old Newton Cup with the winner taking home a purse of £51,540.

Zabeel Champion has gone up a pound following his third placed finish in the Duke of Edinburgh stakes at Royal Ascot. He was in the lead a half furlong out and just got done by a well handicapped horse in Quickthorn. Zabeel Champion is a tough horse who has won six of his twelve starts and placed in all but two of those runs. The nicer ground at Haydock should suit and he has a decent draw in stall 7 to get on the front end.

Ben Curtis rides and is enjoying a breakthrough season getting the better rides for trainer Mark Johnston. Zabeel Champion has won three races on the bounce before a well-earned break leading into the Royal Meeting. He is an improving 4yo who doesn’t know how to run a poor race and has a big chance today.

Scarlet Dragon is one of two runners representing dual trainer Alan King. This horse has his quirks and likes to come through horses as late as possible. He beat Deja who won this race last season in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at the 2020 Royal Meeting. This year at Royal Ascot the rain arrived which was not ideal for Scarlet Dragon. On top of that Hollie Doyle got a dream run up the inside hitting the front much too soon as they entered the straight.

The better ground was up the middle that Friday at Ascot and unsurprisingly Scarlet Dragon ran out of steam over the final furlong. Haydock is an easier mile and a half and even with some rain forecast should not go worse than good to soft. Scarlet Dragon has a telling turn of foot and looks well treated on a mark of 100. David Probert takes over riding duties with Scarlet Dragon drawn low in stall 2 which is a positive.

Haydock - 3:15

0.5 Point Each Way Zabeel Champion 15/2 Skybet & William Hill, both paying 6 places.

0.5 Point Each Way Scarlet Dragon 20/1 Skybet else 18/1 William Hill, both paying 6 places.

Compare Odds at Haydock Saturday 15:15 Betting Odds- Winner | Horse Racing | Oddschecker