Weekend Winners: Mistral Star fancied in Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes at Haydock

The card at Haydock on Saturday provides plenty of competitive action for the Weekend Winners panel to take aim at; they also look ahead to Royal Ascot with some ante-post angles; watch Weekend Winners on the At The Races YouTube channel…

The Weekend Winners team return with a look at this weekend’s action, as well as providing some Royal Ascot ante-post angles…

Host Kate Tracey is joined by BetVictor’s Sam Boswell and Declan Rix of attheraces.com to select their best bets for this weekend as well as their picks ahead of the Royal meeting…

The team began the show with a look at Saturday’s Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes at Haydock, and they disagreed over the likely outcome…

At The Races’ Declan Rix…

“It’s a bonkers race. In terms of pace, I think it’s going to be a nicely-run race. Miss Cantik is blessed with natural pace and will go forward, with Night Sparkle keeping her honest, but I wanted a horse drawn low that likes to go forward and would enjoy a good gallop. For me, that’s Mistral Star – I think she’s brutally overpriced – I’d have her around the 7/1 mark.

“I just think this race sets up really nicely, the quickening ground will suit and she’s a filly by Frankel who really likes to use herself. Going back up to 12 furlongs with more pace to run at on a flatter track is going to suit and we shouldn’t forget her pedigree by Frankel out of Shirocco Star. Her dam was placed in two Oaks once upon a time and I think she’s overpriced at 12/1.”

Host Kate Tracey…

“When this race first opened up I thought I’d get a great price on Night Sparkle, but it turns out a few people thought the same thing as me so she’s a 6/1 shot now. I can make a solid case for this filly after a cracking fun in the Group Three Bronte Cup on her reappearance, in a real scramble of a race. I think that was really likeable form as the winner of that race in the previous year did give her running to give that form some solidity.”

BetVictor’s Sam Boswell…

“I want to take a fly on the most unexposed in the field, Queen Of The Pride for John and Thady Gosden. Interesting, this horse. Her first run ever was really disappointing at Newmarket but you can put a line through that as she won a seven-runner race next time out at Leicester. Five of the six that ran against her have all since won at varying levels.

“Her final start at Goodwood last season came on soft ground – which I don’t think was in the horse’s favour going up to one mile and four – but she still ran a really nice race. I wanted something that could step forward again and this trip is going to be absolutely ideal, I feel like there’s unfinished business. The Gosdens’ record with four-year-olds has been disappointing, but at the prices I felt it was a really strong each-way play.”

Watch Weekend Winners in full on the At The Races YouTube channel