Saturday's Horse Racing Tips: Slate looks tough to crack in Haydock stayers’ hurdle

This weekend’s featured jumps events have drawn such small fields that they are no longer punting propositions. All of the potential value has been sucked out of the Betfair Chase market as it’s now virtually a match between Bravemansgame and Protektorat, while the Ascot Hurdle lacks a talented performer and can be described as a pretty drab edition.

Although Strong Leader entices me a little as the outsider of the field in the latter event, I’m going to focus on an undercard event at Haydock and an all-weather sprint handicap for my bets on Saturday afternoon. At least it’s the Hennessy (no longer called this but yet another sponsor change means I’m reverting back to the original) next weekend!

Back to this week’s action first, though, and we will stick with Haydock to focus on the “Serial Winners” Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle (2.20), which has a much better look to it with a near-maximum field of 16 runners, most of whom are progressive young horses. 

Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo tops the betting after an impressive reappearance at Aintree, but this will mark his first start beyond two-and-a-half miles and he’s not exactly encountering a small step up in trip here. He shapes like a horse who can cover more ground, so I’m not completely against the move, but I don’t want to back him at relatively short odds to find out whether that’s the case.

I would be more interested in playing Lord Snootie at a bigger price if pinpointing an improver over three miles was my primary aim. The former bolted up over two furlongs further than this in December last year but has been campaigned over shorter trips ever since, which seemed a questionable move. Following a creditable comeback run at Galway, he’s a major player now that stamina is back in play.

However, he might not have as much in hand as the Emmet Mullins-trained Slate Lane. This five-year-old showed very little for a different yard in three maiden hurdles at the start of this calendar year, but has found a new lease of life since switching to current connections and has racked up successive victories at Cartmel, Bangor and Newton Abbot.

Although they were much weaker affairs, Slate Lane’s dominance cannot be overlooked. He was sent off at a prohibitive price on all three occasions and probably could have won on the bridle each time, too. That’s of more importance when you consider the runners-up in his last two outings have both won two races since. 

Slate Lane will compete off a revised mark of 127 - a stone higher than when last successful - but this will have been pencilled in as his early-season target given the £125,000 prize pot and I’m sure they will have left plenty under the bonnet. With stamina assured and a liking for the forecasted ground, this unexposed and fascinating stayer can stretch his winning sequence to four.

Over to Lingfield for my other selection, which is The Thames Boatman in the 0-80 sprint handicap (12.35) midway through the card. He might not stand out on paper, but I’m convinced that Richard Hughes’ runner will prove that he is well ahead of his current mark if he remains relaxed prior to the off.

I was in the Sky Sports Studios last Saturday when he ran at Wolverhampton and he caused all kinds of issues in the paddock, on the walkway, and down at the start. It didn’t go well in the race for him, either, as he reared as the starter let them go and lost around three lengths. You just can’t do that around that venue if you want to hold a winning chance.

 It would have been easy to stop watching him from that point onwards but the way he scythed through runners late caught my attention, and it’s not much of a reach to label him as an unlucky loser. The handicapper has dropped him 1lb for the performance, which seems very lenient, and he’s quickly back on track to make amends.

This event is full of exposed and poorly handicapped types so I expect him to go very close under David Egan. Providing he breaks better from his outside post in stall nine, he can quicken up takingly around the final bend and slingshot himself to glory.

Saturday’s Horse Racing Tips

The Thames Boatman (12.35 Lingfield) @ 7/1
Slate Lane (2.20 Haydock) @ 5/1