Haydock Saturday Preview - 19/02/22

With no bet in the first race of the day at Haydock, our first selection of the afternoon comes in the Juvenile Hurdle and one of the bets of the day is Gary Moore's Porticello.

This four year old French exploit was bought and given to Moore off the winning a Conditions Hurdle at Auteuil back in April 2021.

Making his British debut in October he got off the mark at the first time of asking, seeing off a field of Listed Juvenile's by close to four lengths.

He then went to Docnaster in the Grade Two Summit Juvenile Hurdle and had to settle for second behind the talented Knight Salute.

Looking to get back to winning ways last time out the youngster revelled in the deep ground at Chepstow in the Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle and took the race in Emphatic fashion.

Getting his ideal conditions and dropping back in class makes him extremely dangerous.

One to beat.

The first big race of the day at Haydock is the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle over three miles and the value in the race seems to lie with the Dan Skelton trained Molly Ollys Wishes.

The mare was electric at Wetherby on her first start of the season, winning the Listed Mares Hurdle by just over five lengths with some horses in behind who have franked the form since, none-more so than Zambella who has won two listed contests since this race at Wetherby.

She is a very game mare who thrives at all types of trips, but her run at Ascot next time out was too bad to be true finishing last of five runners in the Grade Two Coral Hurdle.

Quickly putting that behind her last time out she stepped up to three miles at Ascot for just the second time in her career and made it back to back wins at the trip, seeing off some smart mares in the Grade Two Mares Hurdle.

That looks some of the best form on offer and handling soft/heavy ground makes her a player.

The feature William Hill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase over 3m4f as ever sees a decent field go to post and with that in mind we have two selections.

The first is the 2021 Welsh Grand National winner Secret Reprieve who still looks very feasibly treated and needs to win this event to have a chance of being in the Aintree National.

Having fell on seasonal debut last term, he then went to Chepstow in a trial for the Welsh National and hacked up by 12 lengths and then still on a very handy mark stayed best of the rest to take the Grade Three at Christmas.

Given a year off and seen for the first time this season looking to defend his title in the Chepstow feature he could only finish fifth of the 20 runners in gruelling conditions.

Dropped 2lb for that run he is now on a mark of 138, just 4lb higher than his Welsh National win and knowing he handles this deep ground, he is the number one contender.

At a much bigger price we think the Midland Grand National winner Time To Get Up could have a say, staying the trip well and handling heavy ground.

The nine year old is very lightly raced for his age only being seen eight times to date, three times over hurdles and five times over fences.

Last term he was set up perfectly for a crack at the Uttoxeter feature winning on heavy ground at Wincanton over 3m1f in the Dick Hunt Trophy and then went to the Staffordshire based track off a mark of 138 and landed the race nicely.

Only seen once since then this season, when tailing off in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase at Aintree, this looks to have been the plan for a while.

At 9/1 he is a big each way player with plenty in his favour.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon comes in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle over three miles and Tokyo Getaway looks to a lot going for her.

The eight year old mare moved to James Moffatt this term having been trained in Ireland by Champion Hurdle winning trainer Gavin Cromwell.

Being a smart horse across the Irish Sea in heavy ground, he came over to England and has been seen twice to date on soft ground and has performed consistently well.

Making his British debut at Haydock over course and distance in December when second in a handicap hurdle and then backed that up in a very similar race at the Merseyside track when second again.

Off only 2lb higher for this event she should hit the frame once more and looks a nice bet, getting weight off her market rivals.

The final selection of the afternoon from Haydock comes in the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle over three miles and we are hoping class will prevail for Hillcrest.

The seven year old for Henry Daly has been a superb horse for the yard, being a smart bumper horse at the start of 2021, placing on debut and then getting off the mark at Wetherby.

Given a break and sent over hurdles this term, he made an emphatic debut at Aintree over 2m4f, beating a next time out winner and then backed that up at Wetherby over slightly further, taking a novice hurdle under a penalty by 20 lengths.

Looking to land a hat-trick over hurdles he went to Cheltenham in a hot Listed event and saw of the highly rated I Am Maximus and Get A tonic with ease.

Hillcrest was last seen back at Prestbury Park in the Grade Two Ballymore Trial and unfortunately unseated his rider before we could tell what would happen.

Up to three mile now, he should handle the distance and if handling the heavy ground, could be tough to beat.