Update: Saturday’s cards at Ascot and Taunton have been abandoned because of frost. ITV4 will show four races from Haydock, starting with the 1.30pm. Those races will start five minutes later than the scheduled off-time.
Today’s TV Racing
Sausalito Sunrise (3.15) can spring a 12-1 surprise in Haydock’s Peter Marsh Chase, a contest that should ensure racing fans get a few thrills, whether or not Ascot’s card succumbs to the expected frost.
Alary will be the focus in the Peter Marsh, being a classy sort from France who has joined the thriving Colin Tizzard stable. The trainer enthuses about him but I gather Alary also shone in his work in France, while running slightly below expectations on the track.
Sausalito Sunrise is just 5lb above the mark from which he won an Ascot handicap by 12 lengths last February and his turn may again be at hand. The surface here will be more testing than when he looked a bit one-paced at Cheltenham last time.
1.30 Haydock This is a high-quality novice chase in which there is little to choose, on bare achievement, between Politologue and Waiting Patiently. Preference is for Politologue, Paul Nicholls’ grey having already won at this Grade Two level, but he carries an extra 3lb for that and it would be no surprise if his rival achieves a career best here.
2.05 Haydock Neon Wolf hinted at masses of potential when scoring on his hurdles debut at Exeter on New Year’s Day. Harry Fry’s runner previously won a point and a bumper in his only other two starts. He holds a second-preference entry in the last at Ascot.
2.40 Haydock Irving’s defeat of Apple’s Jade looks pretty useful, in light of her Hatton’s Grace success the next weekend, but he hardly ever shows his best this deep into the season. The New One has made hard work of beating weaker fields in this race for the past two years, so perhaps L’Ami Serge is the answer. He travelled well last time in a Cheltenham Grade Two but just failed to get home. This step back in distance could help. He loves the mud.
