Racing on Monday in the UK & Ireland comes from Ayr, Cork, Naas, Ripon and Windsor after an evening card at Carlisle was called off due to a waterlogged course.
One of our fancies comes from Windsor, where a C&D winner from Hughie Morrison’s yard can have more success at the royal racecourse.
4.35 – Vauban @ 8/13
In his opening season over hurdles, Vauban won three straight Grade One contests, including the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The versatile gelding showed at Royal Ascot that he can also have success on the Flat, as he won the Copper Horse Handicap (1m6f) by just over seven lengths.
Willie Mullins’ runner is now bidding for group glory on the Flat. On ratings, he is rated 5lb higher than the next best horse in the field, Layfayette.
Given that run at Royal Ascot was his first on the Flat in the UK, he could be even better than the numbers suggest.
A drop down to 1m4f will not be a problem for the former French raider. He has always shown a lot of speed at the end of his races.
Should he prevail here, and it is hard to look beyond him, it will be interesting to see what his connections target at the back end of the Flat season.
7.30 – Haymaker @ 3/1
Haymaker scored over this C&D earlier in the season to record the third victory of his career. He finished that race strongly to get up inside the final 110 yards at the royal racecourse.
Since then, he has produced two strong performances without success from his latest mark of 89.
Hughie Morrison’s gelding came home second of six runners on his latest appearance at Ascot behind Popmaster. On what was soft ground at the Berkshire racecourse, he led with 1f to go but just got headed in the closing stages of the contest.
The four-year-old features on the Betfred Betfinder as one of the Most Napped selections this afternoon. If he finds any improvement on his latest run, he can go one place better this time around on his return to this winning course.
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