Thursday Racing Tips: Russell and Scudamore to strike at Haydock

Jumps racing holds sway in the UK and Ireland on Thursday with three meetings taking place across the afternoon. First off is Wincanton, then over to Haydock and finally some jumps action at Thurles.

Amongst our Thursday Racing Tips is one for trainers Luicinda Russel and Michael Scudamore, who hold a good hand in the feature race at Haydock.

14:45 Haydock - Wal Buck’s @ 13/8

It’s impossible not to be struck by WAL BUCK'S sheer dominance at Kelso last month, when he dismantled the field to win by an emphatic 34 lengths. 

Despite that impressive showing, the handicapper has been surprisingly lenient with a 4lb rise, leaving JP McManus’s seven-year-old looking dangerously well-treated as he heads to Haydock on Thursday.

The decision to apply a first-time visor at Kelso clearly unlocked a new level, so it is no surprise to see the headgear retained for this race.

Wal Buck’s a previous course winner, and his style suggests the slight step up in trip should pose no worries. If he arrives in the same mood as his last outing, he looks set to play a massive role in this contest.

15:15 Haydock - King Ulanda @ 9/2

Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s KING ULANDA has been a revelation since undergoing wind surgery back in September, with the six-year-old only finishing outside the two on one occasion since.

He was impressive on his seasonal reappearance at Carlisle and has remained in relatively good form since. His latest performance was at this course where he was unable to justify favouritism over the shorter trip and was beaten by a hat-trick seeking rival.

However, he comes into this contest off of the same mark of 114 and the step up in trip should prove to be a big positive.

16:25 Haydock - Land of Punt @ 3/1

The penultimate race on the Haydock card is a wide open Novice Handicap Hurdle that looks to be a highly-competitive contest. 

With a field of progressive types lining up, a case could be made for several runners, but LAND OF PUNT, representing the Tom Lacey yard, stands out as a particularly fascinating contender.

Lacey’s five-year-old arrives fairly unexposed with only three runs to his name. While his initial outings weren’t much to write home about, he took a significant leap forward last time out at Plumpton, finishing a creditable third.

The form of that race has since been franked with the winner going on to triumph next time out.

Land of Punt’s point-to-point form suggests that he should take well to this step up in trip and he has every chance of securing his first career win.

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