Ivory set to Stake Acclaim for Listed win in competitive sprint

3.00 Haydock
Betway Achilles Stakes (Listed) | 5f | ITV/RTV

This speed test has been won by some classy types in the past including Take Cover in 2016 and Muthmir a year ago and all eyes will be on Stake Acclaim after his remarkable return to action at Newbury in April.

Dean Ivory produced one of the training performances of the year when the seven-year-old won a competitive handicap following an absence of 517 days.

Stake Acclaim defied odds of 25-1 to defeat Blue De Vega in cosy fashion that day and the runner-up has since gone on to finish third in the Epsom Dash.

Favourites have won the last three renewals of this race and Stake Acclaim was raised to his highest ever mark of 108 after his Newbury run, which was on ground similar to that he will encounter in the north west.

Danzeno: wouldn't appreciate soft ground

In contrast, likely market rival Danzeno is not a lover of very soft conditions.

The classy type had his own layoff, spanning 313 days, to overcome before beating East Street Revue by six lengths at Nottingham last week.

Trainer Mick Appleby said: "He's in really good form and we've been looking at this race for some time. He should get away with soft ground but if it goes heavy he probably won't run."

Paul Midgley won the race two years ago with Final Venture and he fields Tarboosh this time around. The six-year-old drops in class following his eighth in the Group 3 Palace House Stakes at Newmarket last time.The six-year-old has won four times on good to soft ground and his trainer expects him to handle easier conditions if it goes that way.

Midgley said: "The ground will be fine for Tarboosh and he ran well on heavy at the track two years ago. I've always thought he was good enough to win at Listed level."

Sprint king Michael Dods has yet to add this contest to his CV and relies on Intense Romance, who racked up a hat-trick on testing ground last autumn including two Listed wins at Ascot and Ayr.

The five-year-old mare is entitled to have come on for her comeback outing in a Listed contest at Naas in April.

Of the remainder, Charlie Fellowes is sweet on the chances of Treasure Me despite her recent run of second places.

He said: "This is a bit of a fact-finding mission dropping back to five furlongs and if she were to run well it would open up other doors for her. The more rain the better for her and if it turns into a slog she should be okay as she has form over further. I'm looking forward to seeing how she gets on."

Another likely to enjoy the ground is Dave Dexter, who represents Ralph Beckett. The trainer said: "He won a Listed race on heavy at Ayr last year so any further rain would be in his favour."

Lady In France, the only three-year-old in the line-up, Maid In India and One Last Night make up the field.

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