EASTER Saturday at Haydock sees the finale at 3.15 of the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase Finale over 2m 4f, the jewel in the crown of what is an excellent card at Haydock.
The inaugural running of the finale, which is the culmination an eight-race series over 2m 4f open to runners of 10, 11 and 12 years of age, has total prize money of £100.000, including £52,000 to the winner. It is great news that at Unibet we will be continuing our association with this Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase series for the next four seasons which takes us to the 2028 final.
Click here for my full breakdown of what promises to be a truly spectacular race.
At Musselburgh it is great to see Vintage Clarets Unibet 4/1 and Fine Wine Unibet 13/2 both running in the Scottish Sprint Cup!
Enjoy whether at a racecourse on Easter Saturday or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV.
Happy Easter.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
2:05 Haydock – My Pension Expert Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle (1m 7½f)
Brentford Hope made all the running last time out at Newcastle to win in the heavy and it definitely looked like they had finally found the key to him. On that basis he’s going to prove hard to beat around a track that often suits those ridden up with the pace
He was starting to look a little frustrating, his finishing efforts lacking somewhat in a couple of starts at Newbury before that, but he saw off a host of challengers to score last time and looked much more robust in the finish.
Brentford Hope is up to a mark of 140 after that success but don’t forget he was rated 100+ on the Flat, and this rating should still be within his compass.
2:40 Haydock – Challenger Stayers Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle (3m ½f)
Astronomic View has form figures this season of 5322231 and he has been in my tracker since finishing third on his second start of this campaign at Exeter. He has shown plenty of useful form including a second to Tanganyika (reoppose here) but has improved on his last two starts since the introduction of a pair of cheekpieces, and after his 21-length romp in the mud at Warwick last time (My Bobby Dazzler, in again today, well held) he is starting to look much more like the finished article.
Staying in soft ground is clearly his game, and he wasn’t extended to win at Warwick either, so the 8lb rise looks more than fair. He’ll take plenty of beating in what is likely to be very testing ground,
Pincanha is a ten-year-old who is having only her eighth career start after having three long breaks during her career, including when returning to action at Newbury last month after 660 days off course. She certainly showed in heavy ground that she retains all of her ability when fourth to Emitom, with Kyntara in second, who Picanha beat back in 2021. At Newbury Pincanha came to dispute the lead two out and only weakened on the run in. If Pincanha steps up from that performance she has undoubted each way claims.
3.15 Haydock – Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase Finale (2m 4f)
Numitor (nap) returned to action this campaign on March 19th in the Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Exeter and raced well throughout until fading after the last to finish fourth to Stormy Flight in what was a good seasonal debut. Numitor might not have won since March 2022, however he has run some good races in defeat, including a second to the smart Heltenham (won last Saturday at Newbury) last March and he finished runner-up on his only appearance over this trip at Haydock. This lightly raced type has very much been campaigned over this distance and expect a step up from Exeter with conditions to suit.
Dubai Days returned to winning ways last time out over 2m 4½f at Ayr in really good style and that was a taking performance. In his twenty chase starts he has won five times including on the heavy and this is very much his trip. He can run a big race at a double figure price.
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