Horse Racing Tips: Status to star at Haydock

Flat racing holds sway across the UK and Ireland on Saturday with six meetings taking place across the afternoon and into the evening. First off is Haydock before they go at Ascot, Kempton, Thirsk, Navan and Wolverhampton. There is also an early-evening jumps card from Stratford.

Among Saturday's horse racing tips is one for trainer Karl Burke in the biggest race of the day from Haydock.

Today's Horse Races

15:35 Haydock - Elite Status @ 5/1

ELITE STATUS is considered one of the best bets of the whole day on Saturday, representing in-form trainer Karl Burke in the feature £400k Group 1 6f Sprint Cup Stakes from Haydock.

Burke is 8-43 in the past 14 days, and he has three entries, but Elite Status is much preferred of the three.

The three-year-old first caught the eye as a potential Group 1 sprinter when following up his Doncaster 5f debut success as a juvenile in May 2023 with an impressive Listed National Stakes victory over 5f on good ground at Sandown 19 days later.

The Havana Grey colt lost his way last term after attempting to land the Group 1 Prix Morny on very soft ground at Deauville in August, but he has returned better than ever this term after a break.

He was impressive when winning in Listed company over this 6f trip on decent ground at Newbury in May, before following up in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes back there in July.

The reported drying ground conditions are ideal, as he is considered at his best on a sound surface, and he is fancied to land the hat-trick back at the top table.

Free Bet 2nd: Stake back as a free bet up to £10, if your selection finishes 2nd.

Extra Place Race: Paying 4 Places (1/5 Odds) instead of 3.

Best Odds Guaranteed: Best Odds Guaranteed applies to this race.

13:35 Ascot - Mission To Moon @ 4/1

MISSION TO MOON is another horse to back on Saturday afternoon when contesting the £80k Class 2 7f handicap from Ascot, representing Roger Varian in a 13-runner field.

Heavy rain has turned the ground soft at the Berkshire venue and the selection has won twice over 7f on soft ground at Goodwood within the past 13 months.

Encouragingly, he also reached a highly creditable fourth over a mile in the Britannia Stakes at the Royal meeting here in June on good to firm ground and a meritorious fourth on another quick surface at Glorious Goodwood last month.

The combination of 7f on soft ground on this course is potentially ideal and he can return to winning ways.

Free Bet 2nd: Stake back as a free bet up to £10, if your selection finishes 2nd.

Extra Place Race: Paying 4 Places (1/5 Odds) instead of 3.

Best Odds Guaranteed: Best Odds Guaranteed applies to this race.

14:35 Kempton - Lion’s Pride @ 9/4

Finally, Kempton’s feature £85k Group 3 1m4f September Stakes can go to the Gosden yard for the fourth time since 2019 courtesy of their leading candidate LION’S PRIDE.

Royal Line, Enable and Mostahdaf have won this prize for the Gosdens in recent years and Lion’s Pride sets the course-and-distance form standard on these favourable terms after winning the Listed Racing TV Floodlight Stakes in November when registering a peak Racing Post Rating (RPR) of 119.

A reproduction of that level of form back on Polytrack may suffice with his efforts brimming just below that level in his three starts this year in preparation for this likely target.

Best Odds Guaranteed: Best Odds Guaranteed applies to this race.

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