Jaysella’s Saturday Selections for 31st May 2025

Jaysella’s Saturday Selections from Sha Tin, Haydock Park & York

Sha Tin

Sha Tin Vase (Group 3 Handicap) 09.05
Helios Express
It has to be worth getting up early to see Helios Express getting his day in the sun at last. Poor Hugh Bowman has spent all season eying up Ka Ying Rising’s and Zac Purton’s rear ends, but Helios Express can finally line up without Hong Kong’s sprinting superstar in the mix. I think that the draw into Stall 11 could have been kinder, so Hugh Bowman has a decision to make – he can go forward if he gets a good jump from the gates, though might be forced wide into the home turn, or he can drop Helios Express in and use his finishing pace, as the race opens up in the final 2 furlongs. My thinking is that Hugh will drop him in, as he gets just short of a stone in weight from Lucky Sweynesse, and can keep tabs on Lucky with You on his inside, and these are my three.

Haydock Park

Betfred “The Classic Bookmaker” Achilles Stakes (Listed) 2.23
Leovanni
I’m going to chance my arm that Leovanni can take this with William Buick catching my eye as the jockey booked. She’ll get her ground with plenty of sunshine in the forecast, and getting nearly a stone weight for age allowance from Clive Cox’s Jasour and Richard Hughes’s filly, No Half Measures does tempt me. Oisin Murphy is in the hot seat on No Half Measures, while Jasour can go well fresh, so the lack of a run so far this season shouldn’t matter, but I’ll trust William Buick to get the job done for me ahead of this pair.

Betfred Nifty 50 Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes (Group 3) 2.58
Shaha (nap)
This is a very, very good race for the grade, and to me, John & Thady Gosdens’ Shaha is the one that’s progressive, with more to come. Kieran Shoemark got a great tune out of Shaha to take a Listed race at Goodwood four weeks back, and with the new best available jockey plan for the Clarehaven handlers, Oisin Murphy gets the leg-up and that swings it for me. Of course, Charlie Appleby’s Beautiful Love has mixed it at the highest level in America and Arabia, so she has to be a danger, especially with a good second at York behind the exciting See The Fire last time out, while David O’Meara’s Estrange has been high in the markets but might find this ground a bit quick. Shaha, the Cracksman filly, is unexposed, and I’ll bet on a bit of Oisin Murphy magic to score for me here.

Betfred John Of Gaunt Stakes (Group 3) 3.33
Alyanaabi
My heart says Alyanaabi, but my head says last year’s Lockinge winner, Audience. You can take your pick, but this line-up is stacked with quality, as the admirable Kinross and Spycatcher may be getting on, but either could still win this. Alyanaabi won the Spring Trophy Stakes here three weeks ago from the front, and that recent course form under supercool Jim Crowley is what has made my mind up. Spycatcher showed he’s still got the pace when taking the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March, and Audience was last seen in Group One company at Meydan, so I think this is going to be a real ding-dong of a contest, and the race of the day, for me. Alyanaabi to try and make all from the front again, so I’ll go with my gut and hope he can last out Audience’s late charge.

York

William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies’ Stakes (Group 3) 3.15
Scenic (nb)
Ed Walker’s Lope De Vega mare hasn’t won as many as she might have, but this race looks set up for her. She’s got course form, and stays 1 mile 7, so her reappearance run at Goodwood at the start of the month should have teed her up nicely for this Group 3. Winning the Galtres Stakes here on the Knavesmire last year shows me she likes this track, so with the costly Term Of Endearment making just her second start since the move to William Haggas’s Somerville Lodge yard, and Andrew Balding’s Divina Grace yet to convince at this trip, it could be the unexposed Sueno to make a race of it. John & Thady Gosdens’ Camelot filly ran well to finish two and a half lengths behind Scenic in that Goodwood race, and looked like she’d go further. Scenic to go in, with Sueno keeping her honest.

Royal Yorkshire Regiment Handicap 4.25
Munsif
Unbeaten in two starts this term, I think that Munsif might have gotten a very lenient mark here for his handicap bow. With Jim Crowley up at Haydock Park, it’s not too bad to have Ryan Moore booked, and that’s enough to sway me Munsif’s way, with the last run at Pontefract showing me there was plenty left under the bonnet. Ralph Beckett’s Cape Bretton and Andrew Balding’s Urban Glimpse look likely types to me, but I think Munsif can land the hat-trick ahead of the Handicapper.