(Bated Breath (left) was always the 'nearly horse' last year but can come good in Haydock's Temple Stakes)
Haydock's Group 2 Temple Stakes is the premier early season sprint race before Royal Ascot & we look like having a decent field with 13 runners & plenty of strength in depth, we like the look of Bated Breath, who is a true Group One performer, to take the prize. Roger Charlton's charge finished close 2nds in three Group One's in 2011 & they were some of the best sprints around, finishing up behind Dream Ahead (& giving an age related weight allowance to that rival) twice, in the July Cup & here in the Betfred Sprint stakes in September. That form behind Dream Ahead is excellent as that rival went on to win the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp, beating the wonderful Goldikova & Dream Ahead was the joint highest rated two year old in Europe along with Frankel! The worries around Bated Breath are that he only finished 10th on his reappearance last year but that was a very rough race for the colt with him being repeatedly hit by other horses, the other concern was a poor run when going over 5 furlongs for the only time last year. That minimum distance race was at York on softish ground & it may well have been a bit of a freak result with the first 5 home being priced 20/1, 28/1, 12/1, 20/1 & 14/1. Bated Breath looks to have the cruising speed for the distance & with connections sounding pretty bullish he's worth backing at decent odds of 100/30. Last year's winner Sole Power looks like being a strong challenger & he's a previous Group One winner too, when taking the Nunthorpe at odds of 100/1, he's more of a specialist 5 furlong horse but he has only won once in his last 10 & we're happy to stick with our pick.
(Sea Moon is another running in Khalid Abdullah's famous colours)
Similarly to Bated Breath, Sea Moon was a horse that was a little unlucky last year after getting bumped around plenty when favourite for the St Leger & only finding a resurgent St Nicholas Abbey to good in the Breeders Cup Turf, those were races right at the top of the tree though & he should take Goodwood's Tapster Stakes with consumate ease. Running without a penalty Sea Moon has scared off the opposition for this one, plenty were entered earlier in the week but only three rivals take him on here & the closest on ratings, Dandino, is a full 11 pounds behind. The mark of 121 that Sea Moon has avhieved can almost certainly be bettered & this race is just a stepping stone to all of the best middle distance races this year, with the Coronation Cup up next & maybe culminating in a tilt at the Arc. Odds of 4/9 might scare some off of backing Sea Moon but stick it in a double with our first selection Bated Breath & boost the odds up over 5/1, he's as close to a racing certainty as Frankel was last week as far as we're concerned.
(Alanza can make a successful return under regular jockey Johnny Murtagh at the Curragh)
After going for a couple of Khalid Abdullah owned horses so far we're going to take on his Group One winning Emulous with John Oxx's nice filly Alanza, she showed some very smart form once stepped up from 6 furlongs last year & receives a couple of pounds from Emulous here. Both Emulous & Alanza are making their seasonal debuts but so do a couple of today's rivals & the only other horse we can see in the race close to their level is Law Of The Range, being sent over from the UK by Marco Botti, it's a smart move from Botti as this would be the day they may be vulnerable but his charge hasn't been too impressive so far this year finishing a distant 6th behind Izzi Top last time. Alanza started at just 4/1 when stepping up to Group One company in the Sun Chariot at the end of last year but we think Murtagh took her to the wrong side of the track that day & she wasn't given too hard a ride in the final furlong once her chance was gone. The way Alanza has to be ridden makes her a tricky type as she seems to need to be delivered late but Murtagh's pretty good at that & she's got a very nice turn of foot, her official rating of 109 probably underrates her slightly as she beat Chachamaidee well enough last year & that one was impressive last time out & is rated 113. Emulous has won plenty of her races (6 of 10) but it was her last in a Group One that stands out a mile from the rest of her form, slamming two good Coolmore horses in Together & Misty For Me. Together went on to finish just behind Alanza at Newmarket so on Emulous's last run she does have an edge on form but the two pounds she gives away could be crucial & that piece of form looks a little out of place to us, she only finished 6th on her comeback last year & we like Alanza more at odds of 5/2.
In the Irish 2,000 Guineas the horse that interests us is another Oxx inmate in Takar at odds of 6/1 but we can't confidently recommend a bet at short enough odds of 6/1, the Oratario colt has only raced three times but showed a nice turn of foot in the final 100 yards last time & could take this if the race sets up nicely for him to be delivered off the pace.
Selections:
3.00 Haydock - Bated Breath to win at 100/30 (William Hill)
4.25 Goodwood - Sea Moon to win at 4/9 in a double with Bated Breath (pays £62.59 to a £10 stake)
3.50 Curragh - Alanza to win at odds of 5/2 (general)
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