Mick Easterby, who sent out a magnificent three winners at last week’s York May Festival, can continue his purple patch at Haydock tomorrow.
The veteran Sheriff Hutton trainer, who has forgotten more about racing than most of the rest of us will ever know, saddles Pitkin in the Betdaq The Betting Exchange Handicap (division two) and Graham Gibbons’ mount is fancied to prevail.
The three-year-old, who ended last term with a flourish, has had two runs so far this season and looks to be coming to hand. His latest effort, at Newcastle, saw him chase home Barkston Ash, who has since franked the value of that form by winning again at Warwick.
Pitkin looks fairly handicapped in this seven-furlong event, and, with Easterby in such fine form, he is plainly one to consider.
Tim Easterby, Mick’s nephew, also his string in excellent heart and the Great Habton trainer can figure on the Haydock score-sheet, courtesy of Cheers For Thea in the Win £3m Million At footballpools.com Handicap.
A seven-times winner, Cheers For Thea looks capable of adding to that tally, judged on her latest fine effort at Beverley where she failed by only half a length to beat Just Bond. The six-year-old is napped to go one better.
Tim Walford and Kevin Ryan are other North Yorkshire trainers with winning chances on the bumper eight-race card.
Walford saddles Hail Tiberius (1.50), who has filled the frame in all three starts this season, and Ryan is represented by Fiction Or Fact (2.20), who showed promise on his debut on this course two weeks ago.
Henry Cecil runs two well-regarded maidens at Haydock in Midsummer Sun (4.35) and Solar Sky (5.05).
The former was a beaten favourite on his debut at Newmarket’s Craven meeting. There did not appear to be any apparent excuse for that unplaced effort, but he had such a big reputation beforehand it would be unwise not to give him another chance.
Solar Sky displayed crystal-clear potential at Newbury on his debut last month when finishing second to his much-vaunted stablemate World Domination.
Although the winner, a Derby hope, failed to cover himself in further glory in last week’s Dante Stakes at York, there was much to like about Solar Sky’s performance. He should be able to win in maiden company.
At Sandown’s evening meeting, Mark Johnston’s Eternal Heart makes plenty of appeal in the Panmure Gordon Corporate Finance Handicap.
The three-year-old came good in style at Musselburgh last time out, winning in fine style and clearly showing depths of stamina. This step up in distance, to one mile and three-quarters, should not pose any problems.
• Tomorrow’s Wetherby evening fixture will be previewed in tomorrow’s edition of The Press, with full declared runners and riders.
Racing selections
Haydock
1.50 Hail Tiberius, 2.20 Fiction Or Fact, 2.50 Indian Emperor, 3.25 Pitkin, 4.00 Cheers For Thea (NAP), 4.35 Midsummer Sun, 5.05 Solar Sky, 5.35 Goldtrek.
Sandown
5.50 Huma Bird, 6.20 Eternal Heart, 6.55 Leviate, 7.30 Haylaman, 8.05 Tin Pan Alley, 8.35 Princess Lexi.
Tomorrow’s other meetings
Salisbury, Southwell and Wetherby.
Today’s meetings
Goodwood, Kempton, Lingfield, Sedgefield and Worcester.
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