LiveScore Racing Preview: Haydock, October 15, 2021

It is a big weekend for Flat racing in Britain with Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday and a jockeys' championship set to run to the wire between Oisin Murphy and William Buick.

Ahead of that, there is a good card at Haydock on Friday, with eight races due from 1.15pm-5.10pm at the Merseyside track on ground set to be 'Soft-Good to Soft in places'.

With both Buick and Murphy riding at the meeting, all eyes will be on Haydock and we have picked out five to follow on the card.

2.20pm - Download The Casumo App Handicap (6f)

The 'old firm' of Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore can combine here with THALER for a win. 

The Dubawi colt has made smooth progress in five career starts since debuting at Doncaster on the opening weekend of the Flat season in March.

Since that run he has posted figures of 2212, winning in decisive fashion last month on the Polytrack at Kempton on his only attempt at this 6f trip. 

He has since gone very close over 7f on handicap bow at the same venue and he looks sure to run a big race now back down to this sprint trip from an unchanged mark.

LiveScore selection: Thaler

2.55pm - Casumo Horse Racing And Sports Betting EBF Novice Stakes Division 1 (1m)

Mythical Dancer ought to be suited now upped to a mile for William Buick and Charlie Appleby but he has a 7lb penalty to carry here and there are dangers lurking. Some on form and some on paper.

In the latter category is MANDOBI, a colt by Iffraaj representing William Haggas and Tom Marquand. He is a half-brother to multiple winners and his dam was a 2YO 1m winner out of 1000 Guineas winner Ameerat.

The Haggas juveniles have been a fine crop in 2021 and this looks another very interesting first-timer.

LiveScore selection: Mandobi

3.30pm - Casumo Horse Racing And Sports Betting EBF Novice Stakes Division 2 (1m)

A novice contest that has the potential to really shape the jockeys' championship battle. 

Oisin Murphy's three-in-a-row hopes are in peril with a little over 24 hours of the season remaining and he partners MAGISTERIAL here for John and Thady Gosden.

The Frankel colt ran fourth on debut in a Newmarket maiden on good ground over this trip three weeks ago, running on in eye-catching fashion late on when it was too late to make a telling impact.

It was likely a warmer race than this one and so, with an improvement forecast, he could be one to give Murphy a priceless winner.

LiveScore selection: Magisterial

4.05pm - Casumo Mane Event Handicap (1m)

BAKE demolished his rivals on his seasonal reappearance at Yarmouth (7f, good to firm) back in July, winning by the thick end of 10 lengths under Tom Marquand in a maiden with a next-time-out winner in second.

He began life in a handicap off 82 at Doncaster (1m, good) a month later and this time was forced to knuckle down and scrap, which he duly did to fend off Tahitian Prince and Dalanijujo in a three-way go for the line.

That race has thrown up a host of subsequent winners and Bake doesn't appear to have been overly burdened in going up just 2lb. 

Assuming he is as effective on this slower ground, he may well make it 3-3 on the season.

LiveScore selection: Bake

5.10pm - Gamble Responsibly With Casumo Handicap (2m)

Whitehaven tackles 2m for the first time and will bid to help Oisin Murphy sign off this card with a winner. 

He will love the soft going and has his chance but Hughie Morrison's 4YO makes a lofty weight-concession to the field.

ART OF DIPLOMACY could well outrun his price for Mick Easterby and Paul Mulrennan. 

He should be sharper for a recent hurdles outing at Sedgefield — his first start in 311 days — and is within 2lb of his previous win-mark.

He does not have major miles on the clock and the fact he has run well over 2m2f on soft going at Pontefract when last spotted on the level gives him something to work with. In a tricky finale, he has an each-way squeak.

LiveScore selection: Art Of Diplomacy