Horse Power: The Platinum Queen to rule in the Temple Stakes at Haydock Park

THE PLATINUM QUEEN can rule in the Betfred Temple Stakes (3.30pm) at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.

Roger Varian’s three-year-old can land the Group Two feature at the Merseyside track and book her ticket to the King’s Stand Stakes at next month’s Royal Ascot. The three-year-old Cotai Glory filly won four times as a juvenile including at Glorious Goodwood and most spectacularly when landing the Group One Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines at ParisLongchamp in October when trained by Richard Fahey. She was also second in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes and although she disappointed when 11th of 12 at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland in November on her final start, she may have been feeling the effects of a long season. She has switched to the Newmarket stable of Varian over the winter and returns to action at Haydock and could take high ranking among the sprinters this season. The Platinum Queen is only in her second season but she did win on her debut at Ripon last year, so should be ready to do herself justice. She can triumph before returning to Group One company ahead of chiefly last year’s runner-up Twilight Calls and the Karl Burke-trained Dramatised, who won last season’s Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, but was behind The Platinum Queen when fifth in the Nunthorpe.

Little Big Bear, ridden by Ryan Moore (centre), winning the Windsor Castle Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot 2022 at Ascot Racecourse on Wednesday, June 15 2022 Picture by David Davies/PA

Aidan O’Brien’s LITTLE BIG BEAR can drop back in trip to triumph in the Group Two Betfred Nifty Fifty Sandy Lane Stakes (3pm).

The No Nay Never colt was a superb winner over the same six-furlong trip in the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh during his juvenile campaign last July, having scored over the minimum distance in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot the previous month. A setback ruled him out of the rest of the campaign and although his Coolmore connections probably knew a mile may stretch him and sprinting would be his game, they sent him for Classic glory on his return to action earlier this month. He didn’t stay over the mile in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month, having suffered a troubled passage and finished last of 14. Now back down to six furlongs on fast ground, and set to be ridden by Frankie Dettori, he can resume winning ways and book a trip to Royal Ascot next month for the Group One Commonwealth Cup.

North Yorkshire-based trainer and Liverpool FC fan Burke, who won this race with the only horse to follow up at the Royal meeting – Quiet Reflection in 2016, may have the biggest danger to Little Big Bear in Cold Case – who won the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot at the start of this month.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained COVEY can win the Betfred Silver Bowl Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (2.25pm) and book his own trip to Royal Ascot. The son of Frankel has won two of his three starts so far at Newmarket last month and on the all-weather at Newcastle at the start of this month. And under Dettori – as the jockey farewell tour continues before retirement at the end of the year – Covey can bring up a hat-trick and potentially bid for more glory in the Britannia Stakes next month.

It could be a good afternoon for the popular Italian rider with the Ralph Beckett-trained CARZOLA also looking good to continue his fine form with victory in the Betfred TV Hell Nook Handicap (1.50pm). The four-year-old has won his last three starts, two on the all-weather at Lingfield and at Doncaster three weeks ago. He is up 12lbs in the handicap since his winning run started, but he still looks to have something in hand and can triumph again.

Dettori may also win the finale, the Betfred Hattrick Heaven New Boston Handicap (4.45pm), on board ROMAN DRAGON, trained by Hugo Palmer at former Liverpool FC and England striker Michael Owen’s Manor House stables in Cheshire.