Horse Power: Jumby can win the John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock Park

JUMBY can win the Sky Bet John Of Gaunt Stakes (3.35pm) at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s five-year-old looks to have all the right conditions to land the Group Three feature at the Merseyside track. Jumby’s best efforts have been on this firmer surface in the past most notably when landing the Group Two BetVictor Hungerford Stakes at Newbury last August. Jumby has not won since, but has mostly been running at a slightly higher level than this Group Three contest. He was unusually slowly away in the six-furlong Abernant Stakes at Newmarket on his return to action, so to be beaten less than three lengths in fifth was still a decent effort. The mile and the Group One company in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes when 11th of 12 behind Modern Games back at Newbury last time were probably too much. But back down to seven furlongs and into Group Three level on the highly likely quick ground means he has a big chance of another victory.

Jumby also ran two fine races when third in big-field handicaps last season – the six-furlong Wokingham at Royal Ascot and the seven-furlong Bunbury Cup at Newmarket – so is battle-hardened. So with everything seemingly in place he can land the John Of Gaunt and book a possibly return to Royal Ascot for the Jersey Stakes.

Liverpool FC fan, trainer Karl Burke, may provide the danger to the selection with El Caballo. He won the Sandy Lane Stakesover six furlongs at Haydock last May, but disappointed at Royal Ascot and was last of 10 in testing conditions on his return to action at Doncaster in April. He is clearly better than that and on a track he clearly enjoys could get career back on track and go close to victory. Although stepping back up to seven furlongs he will have to returned to his best to get the better of Jumby.

TIME LOCK can win the Group Three Sky Bet Lester Piggott Stakes (Registered As The Pinnacle Stakes) (3pm).

Harry and Roger Charlton’s four-year-old daughter of Frankel remains a lightly-raced filly open to plenty of improvement – just the type to have done well in this race. She scored over 1m4f on her second start at Newmarket last May and has run well in defeat in three runs since. She was runner-up to the reopposing Mimikyu over course and distance last June – beaten just a neck on softish conditions, was second to Haskoy at York in August and filled the same spot again on her return in a Listed event at Goodwood at the start of last month. On much better terms with Mimikyu in firmer conditions Time Lock – under Ryan Moore fresh from his third win in the Betfred Derby on Auguste Rodin at Epsom last week – can finally land a second career success and potentially book a return to Merseyside for next month’s Group Two Lancashire Oaks.

Frankie Dettori landed a double on his last trip to Haydock two weeks ago and he may win the opener, the Listed Sky Bet Achilles Stakes (1.15pm), on board Charlie Hills’ EQUILATERAL. The eight-year-old gelding has run some fine races at the top level, including when runner-up in the 2020 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and has won a Group Two and Listed events over the years. Equilateral was a fine second, under Dettori, to Dramatised in the Group Two Temple Stakes over course and distance two weeks ago. Now back down to Listed level and on the good for firm going he relishes, he can land a first success in more than two years before another potential trip to Royal Ascot in a couple of weeks.

Course and distance winner SILVER SAMURAI may be able to bounce back to form with victory in the Sky Bet Reverence Handicap (1.50pm). Marco Botti’s six-year-old hasn’t built on his decent fourth on his return to action at Kempton when down the field in big handicaps at Newmarket and York. But he won this contest at Haydock last May and from just 3lb higher in the handicap he may be able to return to winning ways ahead of chiefly the Julie Camacho-trained Raatea.