Is Valley Forge a good thing to follow up his Melrose win?

Saturday: 2.20 Haydock
"My Odds Boost" On Betfair Handicap | 1m6f | 3yo | ITV/RTV

There are some exciting three-year-olds lining up for this valuable prize and the eye is drawn to Valley Forge, who won traditionally one of the strongest staying handicaps of the season at York last month.

The Melrose is the Ebor but for three-year-olds and Valley Forge cruised through it like a class act. He looked set to win by a wide margin when swinging along on the bridle a couple of furlongs out but was all out to score by half a length at the line, with runner-up Moshaawer closing him back down near the finish.

Valley Forge ran the final three furlongs in a slower time than the four who chased him home, which is quite something when you consider he was travelling better than all of them for most of the straight. That points to him being more effective over a mile and a half in time and it will be interesting to see how he copes with this stiffer test.

The Racing Post standard time for a mile and three-quarters at Haydock is 1.1 seconds slower than at York, which equates to around 6.6 lengths on good or faster ground according to the BHA scale. Valley Forge will need to stay well and there are plenty of stamina-laden rivals who could take advantage if he doesn't.

Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

'He's progressive and was a bit unlucky'

Roger Varian believes Praiano, who had a terrible passage last time, is much better than the bare form of his Sandown fourth suggests as the three-year-old prepares to take on four last-time-out winners.

Newmarket trainers William Haggas and Sir Michael Stoute have won this contest in recent seasons and the town's only representative is trained by Varian, who said: "He's progressive and was a bit unlucky at Sandown last time when he met trouble in running and could only finish fourth. He's better than that and should run a nice race."

On his penultimate start, Praiano delivered on market expectations on his handicap debut, staying on stoutly to justify favouritism at Leicester. The handicapper raised him 3lb for that performance.

What they say

Richard Hughes, trainer of Tynwald
We're throwing him in the deep end a little but you can put a line through his last run at Windsor as he had the sun in his eyes for most of it. He shapes as if this trip will suit him.

Reporting by David Milnes

Saturday's race previews:

1.45 Haydock: find out why it could be best to ignore the Superior Mile market leaders

2.40 Kempton: admirable Hukum aims for another Group 3 victory in September Stakes

2.55 Haydock: 'He has real quality about him' – trainers on their Old Borough Cup contenders

3.10 Ascot: they go together like salt and pepper – Graeme Rodway on racing's perfect match

3.30 Haydock: 'He's the one to beat' – can anyone stop Starman and Tom Marquand in Sprint Cup?

3.30 Haydock: Graeme Rodway on whether Starman can graduate to greatness in the Sprint Cup (Members' Club)

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