Happy on heavy: three horses who will relish testing ground

The rain has fallen, seemingly more in the west, as it is the meetings at Haydock and Chepstow that will be run in testing conditions, leading to lots of non-runners. Keith Melrose, today's Live Tipster, provides three runners that may revel in the mud.

Mind The Crack
1.45 Haydock

Haydock heavy is a bit of an ecosystem all of its own, which is one thing over jumps but another on the Flat where so few are bred to suit the test.

The remaining runners in the opener (four at the time of writing) have just 18 runs between them, none on softer than good. However, a bit of digging gives real hope that Mind The Crack will have no issue in the mud.

Sire Jukebox Jury had no problem on soft and dam Mountain Melody was unraced, but two of her half-siblings were highly effective on testing ground. Mulan won a Listed race in France on heavy, while Brametot won the French Guineas and was fifth in Enable's first Arc, both on soft.

Mind The Crack himself is progressive and bound to stay 1m4f and may be the answer in the opener.

Mitchum Swagger
3.35 Haydock

The John Of Gaunt market has adjusted and all of those prominent in the betting can handle cut in the ground, but the most highly qualified in those terms is arguably Mitchum Swagger.

Essentially all of his form is on soft ground, including a win at Listed level in the autumn. In fact, his best effort away from the mud was his last one, when close up in fourth (albeit of four) at Windsor.

His best form, which that aforementioned Listed win all but matched, has him within hailing distance of the form principals here. A double-figure price is tempting.

Love And Be Loved
6.30 Chepstow

This John Flint-trained mare has run five times on ground described as soft or heavy. On four occasions she has won and the other was in a big-field handicap at Ascot.

She won over this trip off just 1lb lower at Windsor in the autumn and ran encouragingly on her reappearance (on good), when fading away over the longest trip she's faced.

Sharper for that and back at 1m2f, she looks to have plenty in her favour ahead of an open-looking handicap.

Keith will be this afternoon's Live Tipster, follow him on our Raceday Live service. You can email questions to racedaylive@racingpost.com