The Haydock crowd should be in for a treat here, as this looks to be one of the most competitive Group 3s of the season so far.

Former Group 1 winner Audience will look to make the most of race conditions, but is he one to rely on at the prices?

Get the best odds from the online horse racing betting sites here for the John Of Gaunt Stakes.

Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes Runner By Runner Betting Guide – 7f

2 Alyanaabi (1)

• Age: 4
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 5549-1
• Rating: 113
• Jockey: Jim Crowley
• Trainer: Owen Burrows
• Odds: 7/2

Alyanaabi made a winning return over course and distance when getting the better of Tiber Flow in the Listed Spring Trophy. That win was his first run after being gelded, and he did all his own work on the front end, but he is unlikely to get his way out in front here, with the likes of Audience, Quinault, and Volterra all likely to be vying for the lead.

There is every chance that he will kick on once again, but given he is likely to get in a pace battle, he is passed over at his current price.

Star rating:

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3 Audience (6)

• Age: 6
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 5140-9
• Rating: 122
• Jockey: Robert Havlin
• Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
• Odds: 4/1

Audience comes in here as the clear form pick with a Group 1 and Group 2 to his name from last season, and he is also clear on ratings, but yet, it’s hard to trust him. The last time that Audience dropped into Group 3 company, he easily dispatched his rivals despite having to give 5lb and more away to his opposition.

This time around, he gets weight off Kinross and gets in off level weight to all bar the outsider of the field. He may be hard to trust, but if the Group 1-winning Audience turns up today, he will be hard to stop here.

Star rating:

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1 Kinross (9)

• Age: 8
• Weight: 9st 7lb
• Form: 83127-
• Rating: 116
• Jockey: Rossa Ryan
• Trainer: Ralph Beckett
• Odds: 5/1

Kinross proved last year that his enthusiasm for the game was still there, but even with him gaining one win from six starts, he did seem to be on a slight decline from his usual high standards.

It’s easy to see him needing this run, especially since he must concede a minimum of 5 lbs all around, and at the age of eight, Ralph Beckett may have left a bit to work with, considering that Royal Ascot is just around the corner. He can go well for a long way, but race fitness may be his downfall on his comeback.

Star rating:

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9 Spycatcher (4)

• Age: 7
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 1056-1
• Rating: 111
• Jockey: Clifford Lee
• Trainer: Karl Burke
• Odds: 8/1

Spycatcher is a 6f specialist, but he is well worth a go over 7f in a race that looks as if it will be set up for a closer. He made a winning return at Doncaster in March, and that race has worked out well, with James’s Delight going on to win a Group 2 and Forst At Dawn winning a Listed contest at Haydock.

The trip is the only slight worry, but with his favoured rain-softened ground and the likelihood of a fast pace for him to aim at, Spycatcher looks set for another big run here.

Star rating:

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8 Room Service (8)

• Age: 4
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 61021-
• Rating: 109
• Jockey: Tom Eaves
• Trainer: Kevin Ryan
• Odds: 10/1

The more rain that falls, the better the chances of Room Service seeing out 7f here. All of his best performances have come with some juice in the ground, and he is another who would benefit from a fast pace up front.

The only time he tried 7f saw him fading late on inside the final furlong, but now a year older and stronger, there is every chance that Room Service can see out this longer trip. He’s a lively outsider.

Star rating:

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10 Ten Bob Tony (2)

• Age: 4
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 84245-
• Rating: 108
• Jockey: William Buick
• Trainer: Ed Walker
• Odds: 12/1

Ten Bob Tony was tried at the top level last season and ran as well as could have been expected in the 2000 Guineas, where he finished ahead of a well below-par City Of Troy. He went on to place in a Group 2 in Germany and followed that with a second-place finish at Longchamp, but that form isn’t strong for the grade.

On his final start of last season, he was well held by Room Service at Doncaster, but he is returning this season having been gelded. Ten Bob Tony may be able to find further improvement, but he will need to if he is to reverse form with Room Service, let alone prove a big threat to his rivals. He’s best watched on his return.

Star rating:

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5 Kikkuli (2)

• Age: 4
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 2646-4
• Rating: 108
• Jockey: Oisin Murphy
• Trainer: Harry Charlton
• Odds: 14/1

I’m finding it hard to see why Kikkuli is such a big price here. He had some good form last season when finding the Group 1 placed Haatem a short-head too good at Royal Ascot and ran another big race when four lengths sixth in the Group 1 Turf Mile at the Breeders Cup.

He returned with a more than satisfactory fourth of five over this course and distance in a race that would not have played to his strengths. Today’s set-up will help him settle, and if he does manage to conserve some energy for the closing stages, this race may fall into his lap. He’s too big of a price to ignore and is a great each-way bet.

Star rating:

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11 Volterra (11)

• Age: 4
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 10021-
• Rating: 103
• Jockey: Shane Grey
• Trainer: Kevin Ryan
• Odds: 16/1

This will be Volterra’s first crack at Group level, and even though he was a good winner of two handicaps last season, he needs to take a big step forward on his return to get seriously involved here today. This race may well turn out to be a fact-finding mission for connections to determine which race they will target at Royal Ascot, given that his best performance was at Ascot.

Star rating:

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4 Grey’s Monument (7)

• Age: 5
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 103116-
• Rating: 109
• Jockey: Harry Davies
• Trainer: Ralph Beckett
• Odds: 18/1

He has proven to be a decent performer at Listed level, but this opposition will prove much too strong for him. He’s a likeable sort, but today won’t be his day. Keep an eye on him back in a handicap, as he may still have a win in him off 109.

Star rating:

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6 Mount Athos (3)

• Age: 6
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 716-12
• Rating: 108
• Jockey: Daniel Tudhope
• Trainer: James Tate
• Odds: 22/1

Even though Mount Athos hasn’t finished outside the top three in 12 of his 20 starts, it’s very hard to get excited about the chances at this level. He’s a credit to his connections and has earned a crack at this level, but based on all known form, he will find life tough here.

Star rating:

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7 Quinault (10)

• Age: 5
• Weight: 9st 2lb
• Form: 133-37
• Rating: 107
• Jockey: Marco Ghiani
• Trainer: Stuart Williams
• Odds: 25/1

Having hit a purple patch of form at the back end of last season when racking up a hat-trick of wins when blasting out in front, burning off his rivals, Quinault has found life much tougher since the last of those three wins.

Granted that he doesn’t miss the break, he is one of a few runners who will want to get on with it on the front end, but it will only be a matter of time before he gets swallowed up by the chasing pack in the closing stages. He will need some help from the handicapper if he is to get his head back in front this season.

Star rating:

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12 Tiger Bay (5)

• Age: 5
• Weight: 8st 13lb
• Form: 2236-1
• Rating: 104
• Jockey: Trevor Whelan
• Trainer: Henry Candy
• Odds: 33/1

Tiger Bay returned with a clear career best when getting the better of Frost At Dawn (won on his next start) in the 6f Listed Cecil Frail Stakes at Newmarket at the beginning of the month. But even on the back of that career best, this mare will need to pull out even more to get seriously involved.

But as they say, an in-form mare is a dangerous mare, but how dangerous can she be? She’s unlikely to play a serious part in the finish, but if some of her rivals underperform, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock if she picked up some place money.

Star rating:

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Grade 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes verdict

You could make a case for many runners here, and if Audience turns up in top form, he will be hard to beat on these terms. But given that he is not the most trustworthy, I want to take him on.

I was torn between Spycatcher and KIKKULI, but the Harry Charlton runner gets the narrow vote. The form that Kikkuli showed last season would give him a serious chance of winning here, and given his current price, he looks like a stand-out each-way bet.

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