Regional can make it back-to-back wins

The North

REGIONAL is a sprinter going places for Ed Bethell and he can win the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

The five-year-old is lightly raced for his age and reappeared with a career-best effort to win a 5f handicap at last month’s Dante meeting at York. It was a performance that opens new doors in terms of both loftier targets and the 5f trip, as 6f has appeared to be his optimum distance in the past, but he showed excellent pace over York’s fast 5f and he could have more to offer at the same yardage at Haydock this week.

Mr Wagyu ran really well when third in a competitive handicap at Epsom on Derby day and the John Quinn-trained eight-year-old can return to winning ways in the Reverence Handicap at Haydock on Saturday.

Three visits to the Merseyside venue have yielded two wins for the prominent racer, and he is handicapped to play a leading role judged on last season’s best efforts.

Keith Dalgleish’s Belstane Racing Stables is in fine form and Good Show can score for the yard in the Vulcan Village Handicap at Haydock on Saturday.

The lightly raced four-year-old notched a win at Hamilton last month, for which he has gone up just 3lb, and there can be plenty of optimism that he will continue to improve.

El Caballo is on the comeback trail and he can return to form with a bang in the Group 3 John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

After a disappointing performance in last season’s Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the Karl Burke-trained four-year-old was then absent until the Listed Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in April. He was again well beaten on that occasion but the ground was heavy and he should be an entirely different proposition at the weekend, having completed a six-timer when winning the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock last May.

Midnight Affair caught the eye when runner-up for Richard Fahey at Newmarket last month and the Clipper Logistics-owned two-year-old can go one better in the Hilary Needler Trophy Fillies’ Conditions Stakes at Beverley on Saturday.

The bet365 Two Year Old Trophy Conditions Stakes can go to Cuban Slide, who is trained by Karl Burke and bolted up on his debut at Musselburgh.

Also worth noting

Victory Echo (Maurice Barnes) in the 3.00 at Perth on Sunday

Kinondu Kwetu (Sam England) in the 4.05 at Perth on Sunday