Celtic Spirit to ghost home

Macorville is worthy of his position at the head of the market for Saturday's bet365 Old Newton Cup at Haydock following his cracking effort in last weekend's two-mile Northumberland Plate at Newcastle where he was nailed on the line by Juniper Girl, an effort for which a 4lb rise in the weights looks far from prohibitive. Consequently, Gary Moore's charge holds strong claims in this contest, with the drop back to a mile and a half unlikely to inconvenience him in the least and with conditions to suit. However, it's a big ask for the four-year-old to reappear just seven days after he had such a hard race on bottomless ground in the Plate. With this in mind, I think he's worth taking on with the progressive Celtic Spirit, who can be backed at 6/1 with the sponsors. Ralph Beckett's yard has been in tremendous form of late and the Whitsbury-based handler's patience with this lightly-raced gelding looks set to day dividends this season following his victory at Salisbury last month. As you would expect for a horse by Pivotal, Celtic Spirit handles plenty of cut in the ground with aplomb, a useful asset to take into Saturday's race with the conditions likely to be pretty testing at the Merseyside venue. Indeed, the selection has a victory on heavy going to his name, so he'll plough through the mud as well as any. Judged on his pedigree you wouldn't think stamina would be his strong suit, but he was doing all his best work at the business end of the mile and a quarter when beating Oh Glory Be last time, shaping as though this step up to 12 furlongs would be right up his street. Indeed, his trainer reckons he'll stay 1m 6f. Furthermore, the booking of Godolphin's No 2 jockey Kerrin McEvoy is a major plus point. The only slight concern is that there is no confirmed front-runner in the field, as Celtic Spirit needs a good end-to-end gallop, but I'd be surprised if something doesn't elect to take the bull by the horns and ensure that a truly-run race ensues. Oh Glory Be kept on well when beaten a length by Celtic Spirit at Salisbury and isn't without claims of hitting the frame given that he is proven on an easy surface. But I doubt very much whether a 3lb pull will be enough to see him reverse the placings with the winner, who ultimately won with more in hand that the official margin. Having enjoyed a decent National Hunt campaign, Venetia Williams' Misty Dancer has been in a similar groove on the level and followed up a highly creditable effort when second to Nosferatu at Epsom by scoring in ready fashion at Ayr last month. He's been raised 7lb for that, so has more on his plate in this better race, but I wouldn't rule out a bold show from the grey. Despite a lacklustre performance in the Duke of Edinburgh last time, Mikao merits respect. For all that the handicapper appears to have him just about right off a mark of 91 at present, Mark Tompkins has his string in good heart and, with conditions in his favour, the six-year-old is more than capable of finishing in the money. Lake Poet's hat-track bid was thwarted at Royal Ascot where he was beaten over six lengths into sixth behind Championship Point. He is a very smart colt and it wouldn't surprise me to see him fare better this time, but the assessor may have his measure now and while he's prove on good to soft, heavy going may prove too testing for him. Verdict: 2pts Celtic Spirit @ 6/1 (bet365)