16:55 Haydock

This is a good race with 3 of these arriving in winning form but ready preference is for the progressive SPIRIT OF NGURU for William Haggas. This son of Invincible Spirit needed the outing when fourth on debut as a 2yo but quickly improved to win in the style of a nice prospect at Kempton and then followed that up over the same track and trip on final start. Put away since he could have a nice chunk of improvement to come now handicapping. An opening mark of 89 likely underestimates him and he looks to have a good chance of bringing up the hat-trick. The Haggas yard are operating at a near 30% strike rate in the past fortnight too so another notable positive. Zero Carbon has a similar profile and is likeable so looks the danger. He made all at Lingfield last time and would be dangerous granted a soft lead but one or two others are likely to go forward including the selection.

17:00 Leicester

I’m going to chance WILD LION making a winning reappearance at Leicester on Saturday. We haven’t seen him since he made a winning handicap debut at Newcastle October last year. He will need to defy a layoff but he looked to be improving all the time and up just 6lb I think he can complete the hat-trick here before going on to better things. He is hugely unexposed and dropping back down to 7f should suit as he looks to have a fair bit of speed about him. They are yet to get to the bottom of him and I suspect he has plenty more to come yet. Divine Magic obviously has fitness on side having chased home Heredia and Espressoo at York which is good form and then Nizaaka and Stunning Beauty last time. She has Benoit De La Sayette booked but we know plenty about her already. Outrun The Storm is in form having won here last time so must also enter calculations on that.