Haydock Races Today: Can Sallaal Pass His Group Test in ITV’s Rose of Lancaster?

There’s a proper Saturday feel to Haydock races today, with seven contests from 1.50 to 5.10 and ITV cameras on site for the two features — the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes at 2.25 and the Listed Dick Hern Stakes at 3.00, both part of ITV’s 1.10–5.00pm coverage alongside Ascot’s Shergar Cup card and Newmarket’s Sweet Solera meeting. The full ITV running order is in our ITV racing schedule guide.

Meeting Context

The going is officially Good, Good to Firm in places, and with sunny spells forecast, temperatures nudging 24C and no rain expected, conditions should ride on the quick side all afternoon.

Stalls are inside on the 7f and 1m courses and centre for the 1m2f races. On this quick surface the clerk’s draw note flags a high-draw advantage over the sprint trips, worth keeping in mind in the 3.34 and 4.09.

Non-runners have thinned a couple of fields, most notably Danger Bay from the Rose of Lancaster — a blow for each-way punters, as he’d been well touted after his John Smith’s Cup run at York.

1.50 Betway Leigh Handicap (Class 5, 1m2f)

Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Form note	Odds
Brighton View	Oisin Murphy	William Knight	Won at Yarmouth last Sunday	10/11
Relentless Hero	Colin Keane	—	Consistent sort	10/3
Saxophonist	Daniel Tudhope	—	Handles quick ground	7/2
Mandarin Spirit	Kevin Stott	—	Needs more	15/2
Lc Tiffen	Molly Gunn	—	Outsider	SP

Claytons Kolatonic is a non-runner. Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Brighton View bolted up in a small-field event at Yarmouth only six days ago and a quick turnaround under a penalty often signals a stable that fancies its chances. Oisin Murphy making the trip north is another tell.

The Value: Saxophonist at 7/2 for the Tudhope camp if the favourite bounces.

The Verdict: BRIGHTON VIEW to get the acca off to a solid start.

2.25 Betway Rose of Lancaster Stakes (Group 3, 1m2f) — ITV

No (Draw)	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Form note	Odds
4 (4)	Sallaal	Ray Dawson	Roger Varian	Epsom handicap romp, then Gala Stakes winner	4/6
3 (3)	Nahraan	Oisin Murphy	John & Thady Gosden	Listed Glasgow Stakes winner; 9th in Wolferton on return	10/3
1 (1)	Convergent	Clifford Lee	Karl Burke	John Porter winner; German Derby second	SP
5 (5)	Sea Scout	James Doyle	Simon & Ed Crisford	Third in the St Simon Stakes; ex-Derby runner	SP

Danger Bay is a non-runner, leaving a quartet. Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Sallaal is one of the stories of the season. The Frankel gelding won the Betfred Nifty 50 at Epsom on Oaks day off 107 in a style Timeform called one of the best handicap performances this century, then followed up in the Listed Gala Stakes at Sandown — form franked when runner-up Persica took Newbury’s Steventon Stakes. Roger Varian has the newly minted Group 1 Bahrain Trophy in November “on the back of my mind” if he passes this first pattern-race test, and off a mark of 119 he sets a clear standard.

The Value: Nahraan, third in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange for the Gosdens last autumn, is better judged on that than a too-bad-to-be-true ninth in the Wolferton, and Prince Faisal’s colt is respected at 10/3. Convergent is fascinating too: Karl Burke’s John Porter winner was good enough to line up in the Coronation Cup and the Princess of Wales’s, and he’s the class drop-down in the field, though this shorter trip on quick ground is not his optimum. Sea Scout, the 2025 Blue Riband Trial winner, has most to find.

The Verdict: SALLAAL — short, but he’s improving too fast for these.

3.00 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Dick Hern Stakes (Listed, Fillies & Mares, 1m) — ITV

No	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Form note	Odds
3	Fallen Angel	James Doyle	Karl Burke	Five-time Group 1 winner; below par on Middleton return	4/5
1	Alobayyah	Tom Marquand	William Haggas	Kensington Palace winner at Royal Ascot	5/1
11	Silenciosa	Kieran Shoemark	Tom Clover	Eyecatching Sandown comeback	28/1
8	Blingy’s Sister	Oisin Murphy	—	Each-way player	SP
10	Pacific Mission	Colin Keane	—	Keane booking catches the eye	SP
4	Maeva	Ray Dawson	—	Needs career best	SP
6	Noche Clasica	Daniel Tudhope	—	Outsider	SP
9	Calendar Girl	Callum Rodriguez	—	Outsider	SP

Plus 3 others (Aviatrice, Mostar Dreams, Rumba Numba). Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Fallen Angel needs little introduction — the Karl Burke mare landed the Falmouth, the Prix Rothschild and the Sun Chariot last season among her five top-level wins. She was last of four on her return in York’s Middleton Stakes in May, but that was over a mile and a quarter she palpably failed to see out; back at her best trip in Listed company, this looks a gentle route back towards the autumn Group 1s.

The Value: Alobayyah is the obvious danger for William Haggas after quickening through a tight gap to win the ultra-competitive Kensington Palace at Royal Ascot with the fastest closing sectionals; she’s totally unexposed. At a huge price, Silenciosa stuck on well at Sandown after a freshening break and Tom Clover’s filly ran better than her finishing positions in the Nell Gwyn and the Guineas suggest — 28/1 each-way is the bet for value hunters.

The Verdict: FALLEN ANGEL, with Silenciosa the each-way saver.

3.34 Betway Ashton Heath Handicap (Class 3, 7f)

Draw	Horse	Jockey	Form note	Odds
7	Moonshine	Kieran Shoemark	Two Kempton wins in June	15/8
1	Crimson Spirit	Tom Marquand	Solid claims	SP
2	Pellitory	Daniel Tudhope	Course form	SP
3	Yanifer	Oliver McSweeney	Handles the trip well	SP
5	Christian David	Sean Levey	Capable on his day	SP
6	New Image	Oisin Murphy	Murphy booking notable	SP

Wechaad is a non-runner. Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Moonshine, an upwardly mobile filly with two wins from four starts at Kempton in June, takes on her elders for the first time and is drawn where the pace usually is on this course.

The Value: New Image, with Oisin Murphy staying in the saddle mid-card.

The Verdict: MOONSHINE completes our four-timer.

4.09 Betway Tanners Bridge Handicap (Class 5, 3yo, 7f)

Draw	Horse	Jockey	Form note	Odds
2	Norcross Brow	Liam Wright	Beverley winner; thriving for Charlie Clover	7/2
9	Norfolk Blue	Oisin Murphy	Unsuited by race position at Sandown	SP
1	Galba	C J Whiteley	Improver	SP
3	Comprador	Clifford Lee	Burke yard in form	SP
5	Napolian	Daniel Tudhope	Consistent	SP
6	Crafty Blue	Sean Levey	Dangerous if bouncing back	SP
7	Flyta	Jack Mitchell	Place claims	SP
10	Horace Wallace	Oliver McSweeney	Outsider	SP

Berlinetta is a non-runner. Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Norcross Brow hasn’t looked back since joining Charlie Clover and won well at Beverley last time; he looks weighted for a third career win.

The Value: Norfolk Blue finished with plenty of running left at Sandown after getting poorly positioned, and William Knight replacing Cieren Fallon with Oisin Murphy suggests the yard means business — and he’s berthed near the favoured high side.

The Verdict: NORFOLK BLUE to go one better.

4.40 Betway Capital City Handicap (Class 3, 1m)

No	Horse	Jockey	Form note	Odds
10	Lost Signal	Sean Levey	7th in German 2000 Guineas; handicap debut	7/2
1	Cosi Bello	Tom Marquand	Reliable yardstick	SP
3	Yorkshire	Callum Rodriguez	Likes quick ground	SP
6	Skipper	James Doyle	Doyle stays for the finale of his book	SP
8	Tilted Kilt	Oisin Murphy	Progressive	SP
9	Leadman	Daniel Tudhope	Course winner	SP
11	King Casper	Ray Dawson	Each-way angle	SP
12	Inspired	Clifford Lee	Better than recent form	SP

Plus 6 others in a full field of 14. Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Lost Signal, lightly raced and freshened up by Richard Hannon since finishing seventh in the German 2000 Guineas, makes his handicap debut with obvious potential off his opening mark.

The Value: Tilted Kilt for Murphy in a race where the strong pace should suit closers.

The Verdict: LOST SIGNAL, the classic well-bred handicap debutant.

5.10 Betway Apprentice Handicap (Class 5, 3yo, 1m)

No	Horse	Jockey	Form note	Odds
1	Suggy	Harry Vigors	Three-time all-weather winner	13/8
3	Phantom Watch	Liam Wright	Main danger	9/2
2	Director’s Cut	Connor Planas	Capable claimer aboard	SP
4	Home Hero	Luke Catton	Improving	SP
5	Sandy Craic	C J Whiteley	Outsider	SP
6	Forever Endless	S C Cronin	Outsider	SP
7	Sunshine And Roses	Rose Dawes	Outsider	SP
8	Golden Mabel	Matthew Slater	Outsider	SP

Odds correct at time of writing.

The Favourites: Suggy still looked well ahead of his mark when winning at Wolverhampton and now tries turf — the quick ground should play to his speed.

The Value: Phantom Watch at 9/2 gives Liam Wright a second live mount of the afternoon.

The Verdict: SUGGY to sign off the card for the getting-out stakes.

Accumulator

Our four-leg acca: Brighton View (1.50, 10/11) — Sallaal (2.25, 4/6) — Fallen Angel (3.00, 4/5) — Moonshine (3.34, 15/8). Combined, that pays around 15/1 — a tidy return from four short-priced fancies on a card Sallaal and Fallen Angel should light up for the ITV cameras.

Fancy more Saturday action? Our previews of Ayr races today cover the evening card north of the border.

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