Ben Linfoot free Saturday horse racing tips for Sprint Cup day Haydock and Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown

sportinglife.com

08 September 2023

Ben Linfoot free Saturday horse racing tips for Sprint Cup day Haydock and Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown

The Verdict: Saturday, September 9

1pt win French Invasion in 2.25 Haydock at 16/1 (General)

1pt win Star Of Orion in 2.35 Ascot at 10/1 (General)

1pt win Sea King in 3.00 Haydock at 10/1 (General)

1pt win Alflaila in 3.20 Leopardstown at 11/2 (Ladbrokes, BoyleSports, 888Sport, Betway, 6/1 bet365)

Alflaila to step up at Leopardstown

Two of the most talked about three-year-olds of the season line up on either side of the Irish Sea on Saturday as Shaquille goes for more Group 1 glory in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock and Auguste Rodin bids to bounce back in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

I’m not too keen on taking on Shaquille, who looks the standout sprinter of the season, his remarkable Commonwealth Cup and July Cup victories ensuring he’s around an even-money favourite for the Sprint Cup despite his difficulties at the starting gates.

He’s likely to be fresh and well after two months off and he could be tough to beat, but Auguste Rodin looks a vulnerable market leader over in Ireland.

The Ballydoyle trio seem likely to dominate the pace in this race with Point Lonsdale and last year’s winner, Luxembourg, ensuring at least a solid gallop, and confidence seems to be high within the Aidan O’Brien camp that the real Auguste Rodin will turn up.

Odds of 3/1 look awfully skinny, though, for a horse that was beaten out of sight in the King George, and it could be a case of same again for King Of Steel who was beaten by a couple of quality older horses in the Ascot midsummer highlight.

Nashwa, Onesto and ALFLAILA are a trio of four-year-olds with serious claims, but preference is for the latter who looks to be working towards a career-defining performance.

The presence of owner-mate Mostahdaf prevented Owen Burrows from running him in the Juddmonte International at York last month, but he had reappeared on the Knavesmire in July with a performance that highlighted him as a serious Group 1 prospect.

Burrows is a master at preparing his horses after a lay-off, so it was no surprise that he was ready for the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes after 294 days off, but to see off My Prospero in a cosy manner with the promise of more to come was seriously impressive.

That was his first go at 10 furlongs, but he proved in no uncertain terms he has all the tools to thrive at the distance, and his stalk and pounce tactics could prove very effective in a Ballydoyle pace-driven scenario.

Jim Crowley may have missed out on Mostahdaf at York, but he's back in the saddle for a big one here and at around 5/1 there’s just enough juice left in his price to get involved in a cracking race.

The Verdict: Back ALFLAILA in the Irish Champion Stakes

Sea the star in Old Borough Cup

Over at Haydock there are some good betting opportunities away from the feature race including in the Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup over 1m6f.

I think track position could be vital here and with a few towards the head of the market relying on a strong gallop – both Aztec Empire and Forza Orta are better at two miles – a well-positioned 1m4f horse could do them for speed.

The one that sticks out like a beacon is Sir Mark Prescott’s SEA KING, a talented son of Sea The Stars who has had a light campaign. He looks a bet at 10/1.

Gelded last August, he immediately improved when second past the post in a Haydock 1m6f handicap in September last year, his demotion to fourth not taking anything away from the promise of the run.

Rusty when second at Kempton in the spring, he returned off a break at Goodwood last time with a career-best win from the front in a small field 1m4f handicap off 92, easily seeing off Soto Sizzler, and a 3lb rise does not look likely to hamper his progress.

It won’t surprise anyone that Prescott's runners have an exceptional record in this type of race – he's 19 from 50 at 38% in Haydock handicaps in excess of 1m4f since 1997 - and it's notable he's targeted this pot with this progressive horse just two weeks on from that Goodwood success.

The Verdict: Back Sea King in the Old Borough Cup

French fancy at Haydock

Earlier on the Haydock card FRENCH INVASION can go well at a big price in the Get Daily Rewards With Betfair Handicap for Charlie Johnston.

William Haggas has a strong hand here with Naqeeb and Lordship, but it’s French Invasion that looks underestimated by the market at 16s on the back of a good second at Newmarket last time.

By Le Havre out of a Monsun mare, you immediately think he might need soft ground, but the opposite looks true looking at his form and this big physical specimen handled fast conditions well on the July Course last time out.

He hung left into the dip at Newmarket but that looked to be the undulations rather than anything else and he kept on well to the line for second behind Cavern Club.

A flatter track could suit him on that evidence and a mark of 82 looks unlikely to be the ceiling of his ability. Add in the potential improvement going over 1m6f for the first time – he’s a half-brother to Raheen House and other stayers – and he becomes an attractive wager at his overnight odds.

The Verdict: Back FRENCH INVASION in 2.25 Haydock

Star to shine at Ascot

Over at Ascot Hickory bids to go one better than last time in the bet365 Handicap over seven furlongs.

James Fanshawe’s horse was a half-length second to Baradar in the International Stakes over the course and distance last time at a huge price, but he’s up a couple of pounds at much shorter odds and is reliant on the visor working again.

I wouldn’t be sure he’d confirm the form with STAR OF ORION who was only a neck behind him on King George day and he looks a better bet here at 10/1.

Ralph Beckett’s horse has a strong batch of Ascot seven-furlong handicap form to his name having being placed in three races of this type and he looks in super form having finished second at Goodwood last time out.

He just needs a bit of luck to get over the line in one of these and Saturday’s race could fall nicely for him with 14 runners likely to make a bee-line for the stands’ side.

Well drawn in eight with pace breaking to his left in the form of Quinault and Love De Vega, Laura Pearson can get a nice tow into this from midfield and with a clean run through I’d expect him to go close.

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