Wathnan sprint aces heading to Haydock
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 May 2026
Night Raider may head to Haydock for the Temple Stakes en route to Royal Ascot after making all the running at Newmarket last Saturday.
Karl Burke’s five-year-old has always threatened to make a real impression in the sprint division and being gelded over the winter appears to have worked the oracle, as he made every yard of the running for Palace House Stakes glory in the hands of James Doyle.
Having bounced out of his HQ run in rude health, a trip to Merseyside on May 23 is now on the cards prior to another shot at the King Charles III Stakes on the opening day of the Royal meeting in June.
“I always had complete faith in Night Raider and there was always a performance like this in him,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser to owners Wathnan Racing.
“I think gelding him has made a big difference and my number one question to James afterwards was did he pull out more when the other horse came to him and the answer was yes, which I’m not sure would have been the case last year.
“I hope we can build from here as he’s very fast. Karl said he’s bounced out of the race and might need to go again before Royal Ascot. So he might go to the Temple at Haydock before the King Charles III Stakes.
“The stiff five furlongs at Ascot would be a bit concerning as he’s just so fast, that’s his real weapon. But there will be other races after Ascot where his speed can prove an asset, there’s Goodwood for the King George and then the Nunthorpe.”
Another Wathnan star heading to Haydock on the same afternoon is William Haggas’ Division, who will contest the Sandy Lane Stakes that precedes the Temple following an eyecatching return at Ascot.
Following a slow start, the son of Kingman made stylish progress in the closing stages of the Group Three Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes to finish third, beaten just half a length by Clive Cox’s Coppull.
He will now take the familiar path to the Commonwealth Cup itself by gathering further sprinting experience in the north west.
“The plan was to ride him cold, but maybe not missing the break as much as he did,” added Brown, explaining the start.
“It was windy down at the start and apparently the stall opened and then came back on him and James cut his leg coming out of the stalls.
“He came home well from that bad start and it was a pretty taking performance I thought. I loved what he did in the final two furlongs, going dead straight and showing a very good turn of foot.
“The plan would be to go to the Sandy Lane before the Commonwealth Cup. It’s a very obvious programme and I think he will improve again for the run.”
Meanwhile, despite next week’s Minster Stakes at York remaining the preferred option, James Fanshawe’s Kind Of Blue has the option of running at Haydock this weekend in the Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes over seven furlongs prior to a return to Ascot.
Brown said of the 2024 British Champions Sprint winner: “We’re just keeping all options open with him and the main plan remains York, but he’s got good Haydock form so I thought we’d pop him in there and have a look at it.
“There’s no final decision yet, but I imagine York will remain his main target.
“We will be trying to get him back to Royal Ascot and that’s the track where he’s had his biggest win.
“He didn’t win for us last year, but he did run well and he gave us a great day in the Champions Day sprint the year before – all systems have to lead back to Ascot with him.”
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