A Remarkable tip

Alex Hammond is pleased that Haydock is on again this weekend and has some selections in her weekly column.

Awtaad lowered the colours of Galileo Gold on Saturday but do you think he would come out on top if the pair met again?

Awtaad was impressive wasn’t he? He seems the complete racehorse as he has a great attitude, loads of speed and tons of ability. I’d like to be on him when the pair next face off that’s for sure. It’s fair to say Frankie Dettori had to sit and suffer on Galileo Gold whereas Chris Hayes was able to ride the race he wanted to on the winner, but regardless of that I think the Irish Guineas winner has the edge. Awtaad has now won his last four starts and is improving at a rate of knots and if the pair meet in the St James’s Palace Stakes I’d rather be on the Kevin Prendergast-trained colt; he looks by far the most straightforward of the two. He is currently 3/1 with Sky Bet for the one-mile Group One at the Royal meeting whereas Galileo Gold is 9/2. They may both have to play second fiddle to The Gurkha regardless – his performance in France looked very impressive.

Skiffle won the Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood and now looks like being supplemented for the Investec Oaks but do you think that is the right move and is Minding vulnerable after her defeat on Sunday?

We thought the three-year-old fillies looked much superior to the colts, but the Oaks door has been left ajar after the defeat of Minding behind Jet Setting in the Irish 1000 Guineas. Minding is still favourite for the Epsom Classic, but has now been pushed out to 6/5 with Sky Bet. It’s probable that the incident as the gates opened that saw her bang her head had a bearing on the outcome of the race and it’s also true that the ground was testing enough for her at the Curragh, but with the doubt over her stamina for the mile and a half at Epsom I can see why other trainers are happy to try to take her on. The Height Of Fashion (formerly the Lupe) is a race that has had an influence on the Oaks in the past and Skiffle has been introduced at 10/1 with Sky Bet for Epsom. Charlie Appleby’s filly is improving fast and as this was only her second outing you’d have to expect further improvement. She completely cocked up the start on debut, rearing and missing the break, but she was much more savvy at Goodwood and I can see the attraction of adding her to the Oaks field. She is guaranteed to stay, being a daughter of Dubawi out of a mare that was useful up to 1m4f and is a half sister to a horse that was also effective over middle distances. So a lots of ticks there and let’s be honest, the £30,000 it’ll cost to add her to the field isn’t going to make a dent in the Sheikh Mohammed coffers!

Has anything else caught your eye for Epsom following Breakfast With The Stars on Tuesday and if you had to have one ante-post bet at this stage, what would it be? 

Well, much of the talk after Breakfast With The Stars was of the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ulysses. Sir Michael isn’t usually one to give much away, but he has spoken well of this beautifully bred colt who has now shortened into 8/1 with …

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