The Temple Stakes is a Group 2 sprint over 5 furlongs that never fails to attract a stellar line-up – and this year looks no different. A fascinating mix of proven sprint stars will do battle with up and coming improvers who have it all to do on the big stage and, as ever, this race really is a feather in the cap for whichever camp takes the spoils. And this year, I fancy we’ll be seeing the crowning of a potential star at Haydock. Let’s take a look at the main challengers in more depth:

MECCAS ANGEL (Best price 5-2)

Michael Dods has watched his stable star do little wrong and she signed off his 2015 campaign with a breathtaking win in the Nunthorpe – the way she picked apart the field that day and left the likes of Acapulco for dead will live long in the memory. She actually won with plenty in hand that day and was powering away as they crossed the line…it was devastating stuff. How she’s trained on is the key but there’s no doubt she is the worthy favourite based on that form alone.

MUTHMIR (Best price 15-2)

Has around 6l to find on MECCAS ANGEL on form and didn’t look up to that when last seen trailing home in Dubai over the winter. On his day he’s a very classy sprinter but you rather get the feeling he’s the type who will find one too good in a race like this these days and has probably stopped improving. William Haggas will be hopeful he can eek out some pretty big pots with him this season but I think this one is beyond him.

WAADY (Best price 8-1)

A huge threat. Made a really impressive return at Newmarket last month when he was too keen for his own good and even then he so nearly got the job done. Off a mark of 112 there is still improvement to come and in a race like this he’s got to be a serious contender. Lightning quick and definitely on the upgrade.

PROFITABLE (Best price 9-1)

His supporters would argue he shouldn’t be a bigger price than Waady having beaten the latter last time out, but as I said above, I think Waady has plenty more to come. Clive Cox does a fantastic job with his sprinters and certainly has Profitable in the form of his life after that great reappearance win at Newmarket last month, but this is a step up in class for sure.

SOLE POWER (Best price 14-1) 

The globetrotting veteran always gives a connections a good spin but surely his best days are behind him now and it would have to go down as a big surprise if he landed a pot like this at his advancing stage of life. His form in Dubai over the winter was little more than solid and at the risk of saying he makes up the numbers these days, he’s unlikely to be a challenger here.

KACHY (Best price 16-1)

Huge contender. He’s done nothing but improve for Tom Dascombe and but for one dodgy run when he was stepped up to 7f and didn’t get the trip, he is unbeaten over this distance. His win at Chester last time out was particularly impressive and the blistering early speed he showed pretty much had the race won within the first furlong. If he can repeat that turn of foot here he’s going to have a lot of these in trouble from a long way out and I think 16/1 is a ridiculous price.

Verdict: I am all over KACHY here and think he represents one of the best bets of the year so far. Tom Dascombe hasn’t hidden his admiration for this horse and clearly thinks he has something very special. By his own admission he was wrong to step him up to 7f but that experiment was quickly binned and he showed at Chester what a star in the making he is back at 5f.

SELECTION: KACHY
Stake: 1pt each way @ 16/1 (various)

Good luck,

The Tower