I’ll be riding Diamondonthehill for the first time here in the opening race at Haydock, so he’s not a horse I know an awful lot about. He’s a 6-y-o who’s going to be running off a career-high mark, so it certainly won’t be easy for him, but he seems to be running consistently well this year, so there’s a chance there could be even more improvement to come from him.

There are a few nice unexposed types in here, so it looks a competitive little race, but if Diamondonthehill holds his form, then he should be capable of being involved at the business end once again.

15:35 Haydock – Amancio

Amancio is a very straightforward horse, and he’s another who’s just been running consistently well all year. He’s been nudged up another pound for his excellent second at Epsom last time, but he’s run well off this sort of mark on a few occasions, so I doubt that it will be beyond him.

He’s a horse who needs things to fall right for him, but as long as the race is run to suit, then I think he could definitely return to winning ways at Haydock this weekend.

16:45 Haydock – Caernarfon

Caernarfon goes in the Dick Hern Stakes here, and although it won’t be easy giving weight away to the three-year-olds, she was third in an Oaks last year, so she is certainly one of the classiest fillies in the race. She won in this grade at Pontefract two starts ago, then she certainly didn’t disgrace herself back in Group 3 company at The Curragh last time, so she should appreciate dropping back into this grade again.

The ground at Haydock could end up being the quickest she’s encountered for a little while, but I think she’s a very versatile filly, so I don’t think that will bother her, and I think she’s capable of running a big race.

17:20 Haydock – Mereside Madness

Mereside Madness is another horse I’ll be riding for the first time, so I don’t know an awful lot about him, but he looks quite a straightforward type, so I’m looking forward to the ride. He was looking very progressive up until he stepped up in grade at York last time, and maybe that just caught him out, but he’s back down into a class 5 now, and he went very close off 1lb lower two starts ago, so I’m sure he’s capable of winning races off this mark.

It would be a slight concern that he’s done his winning on the all-weather, but he’s run enough good races on grass to suggest he can win on it, so hopefully he can translate that winning form to the turf.

17:50 Haydock – Miguel

We wouldn’t want the ground too fast for Miguel, so we’ll just keep an eye on that. He hasn’t really shown his best form on his recent starts, but he was a good second at Wolverhampton back in March, so hopefully he can return to something like that form. If he does, then he’s extremely well handicapped as that was off a mark of 77, and he’s now 6lb lower following a few below-par efforts, so I’m sure he can take advantage of this mark if bouncing back to form.

18:25 Haydock – Persuasion

Persuasion has a tricky draw in stall 10, so we will need a bit of luck from there, but he’s been running well of late, and he’s another who looks very well in at the weights if returning to his best form. He has plenty of good form at the track too, so we know he likes Haydock, it’s just frustrating that we’ve been so unfortunate with the draw, but we’ll try our best, and hopefully he can get his head back in front.

David Probert, Coral Racing Ambassador