Can racing's hottest duo Haggas and Marquand keep the winners flowing?

Saturday: 2.55 Haydock
Betfred Pinnacle Stakes (Group 3) | 1m4f | 4yo+ fillies and mares | ITV/RTV

Is there a stronger team in racing right now than Tom Marquand and William Haggas? I'd argue strongly the answer is no.

The pair have already teamed up for 13 winners from 36 runners in the month of May and they have had plenty of success with fillies, too. Lilac Road won the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York, My Astra the Listed Rothesay Stakes at Ayr and Sea Silk Road the Height Of Fashion at Goodwood.

My Astra and Sea Silk Road carried the colours of owners Sunderland Holding Inc and Sea La Rosa bids to continue their remarkable run of success with fillies in this Group 3.

Sea La Rosa already has black type, having won a Listed race at Lingfield in October by four and a half lengths, and that was her fourth victory in a progressive campaign that ended with consecutive career-high Racing Post Ratings.

The daughter of Sea The Stars is sure to improve again this season and the stable form suggests she will be ready to go first time out.

Noon Star came a cropper at the hands of the Haggas-trained Lilac Road in the Middleton Stakes at York last time when the slow early pace probably inconvenienced her.

However, she won by a head a Listed race at Nottingham in April at odds of 8-11 and would probably have been beaten by runner-up Technique if that rival had challenged earlier.

Noon Star did split subsequent Group 1 winners Snowfall and Teona when second in the Musidora at York last year, but her overall profile is one of disappointment and, if she doesn't deliver here, questions will remain about whether she is ever going to deliver at all.

In terms of pedigree, they don't get much better than Darlectable You, who is by Dubawi out of triple Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi.

That makes her a sister to top-class miler Too Darn Hot and also classy performers So Mi Dar and Lah Ti Dar. Those three were all rated 117-plus on RPRs and, in total, Darlectable You has five siblings who all recorded RPRs of 100-plus.

Darlectable You recorded a figure of 88 when breaking her maiden in a Windsor handicap last month, but her bloodlines suggest she is more than capable of bettering that. However, she will probably need to reach at least 108 to land this race. That is the median RPR of all the winners of this race in the last ten years.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Coakley eyeing another Pinnacle with Nell Quickly

Trainer Denis Coakley won this in 2015 with Miss Marjurie and will bid to emulate that success with Nell Quickly, who carries the same Chris Van Hoorn Racing colours.

Like Miss Marjurie, Nell Quickly looks an improving middle-distance type and she showed her versatility in winning once on the all-weather and three times on turf through 2021.

The daughter of The Gurkha is rated 96 after winning a competitive 1m4f handicap at Newmarket last October, but she needs some ease in the ground as she was pulled out of her intended return at Ascot three weeks ago on account of a quick surface.

The Berkshire-based Coakley said: "The Pinnacle is a race we've done well in the past and all is fine with Nell Quickly. We had intended in giving her a prep for this at Ascot, but the ground dried up and we decided not to risk it.

"It sounds as if they've had some rain up there, which should suit her. She's in good shape and the plan would be to get some black type."

What they say

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Climate
She ran very well on her first start of the season at Newmarket last time and hopefully a reproduction of that should give her a chance. She's stepping up in trip but is a half-sister to two Ribblesdale Stakes winners, so hopefully she'll run well.

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer of Darlectable You
She always looked the type to improve from three to four and won nicely on her return in a handicap at Windsor. Obviously, she has a bit to find on the ratings, but she should like the track and trip, and hopefully she'll bag some black type.

Roger Varian, trainer of Lady Hayes
She has good course and distance form and a repeat of her run in the Lancashire Oaks last year would give her a chance. It looks a warm race and she's better with a bit of give in the ground, so we'll hope some of the showers materialise but she is quite versatile and I'm sure she'll run well.

William Haggas, trainer of Sea La Rosa
She's only just come to herself but she's there now and this looks a good starting point to her season. It's a competitive race but she's been working nicely just lately.

Daniel Muscutt, rider of Viola
I sat on her last week and she seems in good form. She got black type last year, so we are just trying to upgrade that. She goes well fresh and James Fanshawe's horses are in good shape, so she goes there with a shout in a competitive race.
Reporting by David Milnes

Read Saturday's race previews:

1.45 Haydock: Will Dragon Symbol's class tell against some in-form Achilles rivals?

2.05 Beverley: 'She has a great chance' - why it could pay to oppose the unbeaten favourite

3.15 Beverley: 'He's one of our stronger ones' - quotes and analysis for Two Year Old Trophy

3.30 Haydock: Kinross seeks to deny a Dettori double in wide-open John of Gaunt Stakes

4.00 Navan: Group horse in a handicap? Sun King out to defy big weight in red-hot contest

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