ITV Racing Tips: Two Tips On Packed Saturday

A jam packed Saturday of racing awaits for ITV viewers, with the headline act the Irish 2000 Guineas but a stack of British clashes to come before. Billy Grimshaw has a couple of additional Haydock tips to go with his Saturday NAP in the Irish colts Classic and makes the case for them here...

15:00 Haydock

The Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes is a brilliantly competitive affair this season and while a case can be made for plenty in the field, I am quite sweet on one and annoyingly, it is the favourite. Nevertheless, the 3/1 available at the time of writing about SYMBOL OF HONOUR could look big come post time, as with his form so far this season and the remarkably good form in big Saturday races that Charlie Appleby and William Buick are in so far in 2025, there is plenty to like. He will love the rattling quick conditions up in the North West and his easy win at Newbury last time out - albeit in a weaker race - impressed me visually as he was travelling all over the field before putting things to bed in a matter of strides.

He is tactically versatile but there's plenty of pace in here so I'd like to see William Buick keep him relatively handy before using that finishing kick we saw at Newbury to devastating effect. Big Mojo rates the main danger in my book, just ahead of Arizona Blaze who I also respect, as he is just so admirably consistent and to have won on his first run back from a wind op last time out, there could well be yet more improvement to come out of him. Nevertheless, only Symbol Of Honour has given me the real wow factor of anything in this field and I do think he is the one they all have to beat.

15:30 Haydock

Over the minimum trip there's another blink and you'll miss it clash coming our way at Haydock and, apologies to those who are here for big prices, but I like the favourite again! Watching the Palace House Stakes back, there was only ever one winner if you focus on the winner RUMSTAR and I'm fairly confident a repeat performance here will see him come out on top once more.

There will be some eyebrows raised at the price discrepancy between Rumstar and the horse he beat into second She's Quality at Newmarket last time out, with the filly available to back at 12s, and while it would not surprise me at all to see her fill the frame I just don't see how without tremendous luck in running, and subsequent bad luck for the favourite, that she reverses those placings. Rumstar scooted clear when asked to do so in the final half furlong or so and I expect him to do it again here.

Washington Heights was in fourth that day and beaten favourite, running on late, but I don't fancy him at all here as he needs six furlongs to be seen to best effect these days, while Starlust definitely has the class but I doubt he will be fully wound up here on seasonal debut for Ralph Beckett. The main danger is probably the rapdly improving American Affair for Jim Goldie, who won as he liked in a York handicap last week and has earned this step up in grade. He could well have more to come, but he'll have to be very good to outspeed Rumstar.