Sprint Cup (6f) at Haydock (3rd Sept)

If you could be certain of Gd / fast ground Limato would be a bit of a Nap .

Candy says this will come too soon for Limato - apparently Twilight Son is an intended runner, can see him bouncing back to winning form given a bit of cut in the ground.

Suedois has been knocking on the door and looks a fair price (14/1).

It looks very competitive though -   even if only half of 'em turn up.

This is a race you'd be glad you haven't bet ante-post.

Although Limato @ 5/1 appeals as a nice arbing opportunity I worry a bit about the quick return after the Nunthorpe and also the track - he ran poorly here last year.

I've decided The Tin Man @ 6/1 e/w is the sensible play - just hope for a trouble free passage.

Will also have a small bet on Sole Power if it stays fast - looks like an easy 6f is what he needs these days - though he is probably just not good enough anymore.

If she runs Only Mine looks overpriced at 40/1. Her beating of Washington D C gives her place claims , at least, in a wide open race. In her first season she mixed it with the likes of Minding and Ballydoyle and was not disgraced. Definitely worth a long look.

It is good ground at the moment and there is quite a bit of rain expected on fri and sat (20mm+), the question is will it be soft enough for Twilight Son or too soft for Limato to run?

Weather and Only Mine

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright reported the going to be good on Tuesday, ahead of the three-day fixture that starts on Thursday, but a little rain is forecast at certain times during the week.

"The ground is good. We were dry yesterday and we're dry today. We're forecast a bit of rain tomorrow then it's set to be dry on Thursday when I think we'll be on the easy side of good," he said.

"There are [b]four millimetres of rain forecast on Friday and two on Saturday[/b].

"I think the reality is we're going to be somewhere on the easy side of good all week."

Those conditions would persuade Irish trainer Joe Murphy to run Only Mine.

The three-year-old filly, who defeated Aidan O'Brien's Washington DC in the Group Three Lacken Stakes at Naas in May, has not raced since finishing third to the Mick Channon-trained Divine in the Ballyogan Stakes at the Curragh at the beginning of June.

"Ground on the easy side of good would suit us," said the County Tipperary handler.

"We'd prefer a bit more rain.

"It's what we're aiming for. We're very happy with her at the moment, but we're just waiting on the a few things before deciding whether to send her.

"If they get the rain tomorrow, we'll discuss it."

memories of the amazing Lochsong come to light here... and at the prices Dashing Star cannot get ignored here... at 8/1.  Thought he won the Stewards Cup in impressive fashion and I do feel this race will suit him quite well. Obviously big leap to group 1 class but if you look at last seasons Stewards form Magical Memory was only 3/4 length behind the winner...

My main bet in the race... the connection with Lochsong cannot be ignored.

Good Luck.

Limato declared, Twilight Son out, but the forecast still suggesting decent amount of rain from Saturday lunchtime so Limato might yet be a non runner as well (even if it goes good-to-soft according to Candy), so there would be a big Rule 4 to current prices.

well, looking at the history of the race - this tends to go to up and coming sprinters... and favourites don't have a great record in this.

Favourites in the last 10 years

9th-4th-9th-12th-1st-5th-2nd-5th-1st-11th 

I hope Limato does run as there will be good prices for the others, but happy to take the fav on.

Between everything trainer, clerk of course and weather forecast, you'd think it would be Twilight Son not Limato still in race, lucky we're all sceptics.

P for rain is said to be 100% and it is a 16:30 kick off.

Plenty of rain in the Haydock forecast from mid-day ish onwards.
Ground will be soft, NRs a plenty :-(

G/s now, & still raining, don't expect Limato to run, & if it gets worse The Tin Man would have to be doubtful ??

Ground officially soft at Haydock now.

The main race of the day is usually the last one on Channel4 and I guess their F1 coverage means they had to start their racing broadcast later than usual so the race times got put back.

Limato and Sole Power both withdrawn so have gone in again on Suideos @ 10/1.

Thanks uncle. I didn't know about the big race always last race policy of Ch4 and not being a fan of F1 I'd forgotten that was on. Looking at the race times though it could've been organised where only the first race was missed by Ch4 and I remember a while ago they put the first couple of races on the More4 so I don't see why they couldn't have done similar here.

Gordon is overpriced

I don't understand your comment impossible? It's not a handicap, it's a Group One. She just gets 3lbs for being a girl plus 2lbs weight for age. No embarrassment for the handicapper, unless you're questioning the allowances which don't seem overly generous to me.