Horsebetting.com experts provide their Rose Of Lancaster Stakes betting tips and say the progressive Elwazir is worth a punt to land the 1m 2f Group 3 feature contest at Haydock on Saturday, 11 August. The Sir Michael Stoute trained Zaaki is feared most while, Communique odds appeal each-way given his trainer’s record in the race. For full details why, read our in-depth 2018 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes betting tips preview. Elwazir a solid bet in Rose Of Lancaster StakesElwazir is on a serious upward curve, so looks a worthy favourite to take the step up into Group 3 company on his stride and land the feature contest at Haydock on Saturday, the 1m 2f Rose Of Lancaster Stakes (15:05).
After shaping with promise in two backend runs as a juvenile, this Owen Burrows trained three-year-old has come into his own this season since being stepped up to the trip of this. Elwazir is unbeaten in two starts and the form of his first success has worked out extremely well.
That came in a 14-runner novice stakes contest at Sandown, where he cruised into contention three from home before scooting clear a furlong out and staying on strongly to readily beat Cross Counter by 2 3/4 lengths. The runner-up has gone on to score twice since and – in the last of those successes – broke the track record when landing the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood by 4 1/2 lengths from Epsom Derby runner-up Dee Ex Bee.
It was a most taking display by Elwazir, and he has since gone on to follow-up in impressive fashion on handicap debut at Ascot when easily beating Extra Elusive by 1 3/4 lengths. This clearly demands more, but Elwazir has bags of untapped potential and looks an exciting prospect who needs keeping firmly onside.
So, with underfoot conditions ideal, and the stable back among the winners of late, he rates a solid bet to land the hat-trick en route to even better things. Elwazir is thus our best bet among 2018 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes betting tips.Zaaki a key player and feared mostTrainer Sir Michael Stoute has a tremendous strike rate of 37.5 per cent with his runners at the Merseyside venue in the past 12 months, so his Zaaki looks the main danger to Elwazir – given that he also has an upwardly-mobile profile.
Since opening his account on seasonal reappearance at Thirsk, the three-year-old has posted three really solid efforts to make the frame. They include when a staying on five-length third of 16 to Hunting Horn in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot on his penultimate outing.
That form reads well in the context of this contest and Zaaki comes into it on the back of a cracking short-head second to Communique in a competitive nine-runner handicap at Newmarket. After forfeiting vital ground when slowly away, he made good headway two furlongs from home and looked all over the winner when leading inside the last before getting chinned on the line.
Off top weight of 9st 7lb, he was attempting to give the winner 12lb and now races against that re-opposing rival off level weights. It should be more than enough to see him turn the tables and Zaaki is officially rated 3lb higher that Elwazir.
Whether he has as much scope of the main selection is another matter but – if Elwazir fails to live up to expectations – Zaaki looks the obvious one to take advantage for a stable that continues to bang in the winners.Johnston’s Communique another to considerDespite having a mountain to climb at the weights to confirm the form with Zaaki, the Mark Johnston trained Communique still commands plenty of respect and cannot be discounted given his trainer’s record in this. The Middleham-based handler has won the race a joint-record three times, including last year’s renewal with Frankkus.
In Communique, he has a tough and consistent sort who has has won three of his seven starts this season. The first came in the valuable London Gold Cup at Newbury and that is traditionally a strong contest which throws up plenty of subsequent winners.
Since beating the aforementioned Zaaki, the son of Casamento has since gone on to defy a 5lb rise in the weights when landing a competitive 12-runner handicap at last week’s Glorious Goodwood meeting by 1 1/2 lengths. Communique made headway on the bit three from home and, after taking up the running a furlong out, stayed on strongly to score with more in hand than the winning margin suggests.
It was a career-best performance and one which suggested he was well worth a crack at this level. Communique is also versatile as regards tactics and has made the running in the past, so that could be a plus as he could get an easy lead in this.
If doing so he could prove a tough nut to crack, so is therefore the each-way selection in our 2018 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes betting tips in a race in which bookmakers are paying a quarter of the odds for two places.Your Next Bet
