‘Always dangerous’ - The Irish invade Haydock on Saturday Haydock’s seven-race card on Saturday looks thoroughly competitive and there are a couple of Grade 2 races but the main event is the £100,000 Grand National Trial. A few of the races have caught the attention of the Irish trainers, the Pertemps qualifier in particular, and they are sending over six runners.Here we assess all six runners and their chances of taking the first-place prizes back home to Ireland. Try Them - Haydock 12.55 @ 33/1 Emmet Mullins’ juvenile hurdler has a pretty speedy Flat pedigree, despite never racing in that sphere. You don’t get too many sons and daughters of Dandy Man winning over hurdles, in fact there have only been eight since 2013. He looked in need of the experience when sixth on debut in an academy hurdle at Leopardstown and he did actually keep on over 2m2f, despite looking very green. It would be unwise to rule him out, as he’s entitled to improve significantly. Bythesametoken - Haydock 1.28 @ 5/1 The Ross O’Sullivan-trained veteran Bythesametoken got his season off to a flyer when winning at Listowel in September. That performance was particularly impressive, as it was his first start for almost 400 days, although it wasn’t missed by the handicapper. Life will be harder off a mark of 127 here, as it will require a career-best, but Donagh Meyler has been booked for the ride and he’s popular in the betting. Minella Emperor - Haydock 3.50 @ 11/2 Another Emmet Mullins runner, Minella Emperor has only had four starts over hurdles so far and it’s unlikely that we’ve seen the best of him just yet. He was well beaten in three point-to-point starts but shaped as if this trip would set when runner-up to an Albert Bartlett contender in a Thurles novice event last month. The step up in trip combined with the switch to handicaps may well suit and having won a bumper back in October, he should be capable of winning over hurdles sooner or later. Chart Topper - Haydock 3.50 @ 11/1 It’s always dangerous when Willie Mullins sends a runner over and Chart Topper is no stranger to these shores, having won a novice hurdle at Wetherby last term, and he also finished second in a Grade 2 at Kelso back in March. Running well in a Listed contest over an extended 2m6f at Galway in August, he stayed on well to finish third. Things didn’t quite go to plan at Cheltenham after that but he’s been given a break since and is clearly capable of much better. Cave Court - Haydock 3.50 @ SP Noel Kelly’s Cave Court looks a bit up against it here and and the nine-year-old is by no means proven over the trip. He was a respectable second over fences at Cartmel over the summer but struggled badly over a longer trip at Galway last time out. The son of Court Cave won over an extended 2m2f at Naas in January 2025 but that success came off a mark of 119. A British mark of 131 is plenty stiff enough with that in mind. Found A Diamond - Haydock 3.50 @ SP Found A Diamond is also a potentially progressive novice and he won a maiden hurdle at Thurles back in October. The step up to 3m1f at Navan next time clearly suited, as he came out on top by a comfortable margin on handicap debut. Ross O’Sullivan’s runner was third in a pretty average race at Fairyhouse last time out however and will need to improve again in order to feature here.
