Shaquille all set to Slam Dunk Haydock Rivals

By Molly Hunter, PA

Shaquille can seal a Group One hat-trick for Julie Camacho in the Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes.

The colt has taken every challenge in his stride this year, winning both the Commonwealth Cup and the July Cup despite missing the break both times and leaving himself with ground to make up.

He faces many of the same rivals and has been doing some stalls work in Malton with James Doyle, with whom he reunites, and looks the obvious horse to beat at the peak of a superb season.

At the same meeting it is David Simcock’s Light Infantry who can strike in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes.

The chestnut is yet to win this term but has often been thereabouts in five runs, four of which where Group One events.

Second in the Prix d’Ispahan, third in the Queen Anne and third again in the Prix Jacques le Marois, this contest is an easing in grade for a consistent horse who looks on the cusp of a victory for new connections before he heads to Australia.

Also eye-catching at Haydock is William Haggas’ Naqeeb, a 10-length winner of a Kempton novice when last seen and a narrow second to Middle Earth the time before – the latter horse a subsequent Melrose winner who is due to be supplemented for the St Leger.

The three-year-old contests the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap under Tom Marquand and though it is a competitive affair with Aidan O’Brien’s Denmark also in the mix, he is clearly on the up and holds a lot of promise as a half-brother to Baaeed and Hukum.

At Ascot in the RoR horses For Courses British EBF Novice Stakes there is an interesting runner in Harry and Roger Charlton’s American Bay, a New Bay colt who was green when well beaten on debut but has since finished just a nose behind Dragon Leader at Salisbury.

That horse went on to run away with the valuable sales race at York, a performance that points to untapped potential in American Bay.

On the same card Elegancia can win on handicap debut for the same Charlton stable in the Victoria Racing Club “Confined” Handicap.

The filly has fared well since being stepped up in trip and down in grade, finishing a close second in a Nottingham novice over 10 furlongs and then winning last time out over the same trip at Bath.

There is Group action on the all-weather a Kempton with the Unibet September Stakes, a Group Three in which Israr looks a real challenger.

John and Thady Gosden train the four-year-old for Shadwell and this year he has never let them down when defeated by only narrow margins in the Aston Park and the Grand Cup before winning the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes by four and a half lengths.

This is his all-weather debut, however, but if he can replicate the ability he shows on turf then he should be at the head of affairs.

In Ireland there is a top quality card at Leopardstown headlined by a great renewal of the 10-furlong Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.

Much of the discussion will revolve around the Derby first and second, Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel and it is the latter who holds more appeal as Auguste Rodin folded in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth and has previously run as though the final two furlongs of a mile and a half trip were vital to him.

There is a further Group One in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes, where Tahiyra returns from a summer break and looks poised to resume the fantastic campaign that has seen her win the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes.

 
Top tips for today’s UK meetings

TAB is betting on 6 UK meetings and 1 Irish meeting today. Here are the tips.

KEMPTON: Race 1: 14.35 Israr, Race 2: 15.10 Helm Rock, Race 3: 15.50 Sahara Kitten, Race 4: 16.25 Starlust, Race 5: 17.00 Fox Vision, Race 6: 17.35 Adela Of Champagne, Race 7: 18.10 Diamondsinthesand, Race 8: 18.45 Flying Panther.

LEOPARDSTOWN (Ire): Race 1: 14.45 Sea The Boss, Race 2: 15.15 Diego Velazquez, Race 3: 15.45 Tahiyra, Race 4: 16.20 King Of Steel, Race 5: 16.55 Alfred Munnings, Race 6: 17.30 White Birch, Race 7: 18.05 Dartan, Race 8: 18.40 Hotrocket.

HAYDOCK: Race 1: 14.50 Light Infantry, Race 2: 15.25 Naqeeb, Race 3: 16.00 Forza Orta, Race 4: 16.35 SHAQUILLE (NAP), Race 5: 17.10 Alligator Alley, Race 6: 17.45 Portland, Race 7: 18.15 Jumeirah King.

ASCOT: Race 1: 15.00 American Bay, Race 2: 15.35 Love De Vega, Race 3: 16.10 Alsakib, Race 4: 16.45 Elegancia, Race 5: 17.20 Prepense, Race 6: 17.55 Blind Beggar, Race 7: 18.30 Above.

THIRSK: Race 1: 15.05 Making Dreams, Race 2: 15.40 Colorada Dancer, Race 3: 16.15 Firing Squad, Race 4: 16.50 Novak, Race 5: 17.25 Brazen Bolt, Race 6: 18.00 Zapphire, Race 7: 18.35 Vaynor, Race 8: 19.10 Hondo.

STRATFORD: Race 1: 15.30 Boundsy Boy, Race 2: 16.05 All The Glory, Race 3: 16.40 Guinness Affair, Race 4: 17.15 Long Call, Race 5: 17.50 Motion In Limine, Race 6: 18.20 Professor Higgins.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Race 1: 18.25 Ellade, Race 2: 19.00 Fly Zone, Race 3: 19.30 Beenham, Race 4: 20.00 Kaaress, Race 5: 20.30 Ecclesiastical, Race 6: 21.00 Under Curfew, Race 7: 21.30 Ivy Avenue.

ALL TO COME: Naqeeb and Shaquille (Haydock, Races 2 and 4).

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