TOMMY WHITTLE PREVIEW

14:40 Haydock

This 3 mile and 1 furlong trip will take some serious getting on the expected heavy ground but one who won't mind this war of attrition is the Anthony Honeyball trained SOJOURN. He has claimed two victories from three starts over fences and absolutely thrives on softer conditions. Last time out he claimed a dominant 15 length success at Carlisle on Heavy ground and went very well up the steep uphill finish. The form of that race has been franked with the horses that finished 3rd and 6th that day subsequently claiming victories. Although he's been raised 11lb for that performance this looks tailor made for him and should be able to cope with the rise in weight.

His main rival looks to come in the form of Hill Sixteen who has won a hurdle and a chase for Nigel Twiston Davies since being sold in the Trevor Hemmings dispersal sale. A staggering 46 length winner at Ffos Las in what looked a weaker race than this and he too has received a hefty hike in the weights.

The selection should stay longer than the mother-in-law at Christmas and is a confident choice to claim Haydock's race of the day.

SOJOURN

written by Steve Marriott