Your guide to Friday's behind closed doors card at Haydock Park

The feature race is an excellent renewal of the Listed Tapster Stakes which takes place at 6.25pm with a prize fund of £25,500 up for grabs. We’ve previewed the action with selections and analysis to hopefully provide you with a few winners.

With the Qatar Goodwood Festival just two weeks away, clues for some of the meeting’s Group events could be evident in the aforementioned Tapster Stakes at 6.25pm at Haydock.

The contest has been won for the past two seasons by Mirage Dancer. Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, he now plies his trade in Australia but won this event in 2018 before capturing the Group Three Glorious Stakes at Goodwood that summer.

This year’s renewal features seven exciting talents who all look potential improvers. Newmarket trainer Stoute is targeting a third victory in the race and holds live claims with the progressive Alignak, who is 4/1 to win.

He returned to action with a game success at Newcastle on June 1 and has won his last two victories, both of which came on the All-Weather. He looks a typical horse trained by Stoute who will improve as he gets older and Ryan Moore is also aboard the four-year-old. Stoute has a fine record at Haydock with 79 winners from 404 runners during his career, a sparkling 20% strike-rate.

Trainer Charlie Appleby is in scintillating form at the moment, operating at a 29% strike-rate and runs the talented Ispolini. He is the class horse on the race based on ratings and captured the German St Leger at Dortmund last season.

He failed to handle conditions on his return in the Sagaro at Newcastle and with ground conditions to suit, he is a danger to all.

Alan King is more known for training Cheltenham Festival winners, but the dual-purpose handler enjoyed s fine Royal Ascot, saddling three runners. One of his most exciting talents is Trueshan who progressed rapidly through the ranks last season.

He shaped very nicely on his reappearance when a good fourth in Listed action and the winner has franked that form since by landing a Group race next time out. Barbury Castle handler King is operating at a 10% strike-rate at present and the four-year-old looks a leading player.

El Misk represents John Gosden and is another to consider given he finished a fine second in Listed action at Newmarket last time out, whilst Mountain Hunter was a good third in Group Two company in Dubai during the winter and is another to consider.

The other major race of the evening is the Bet At racingtv.com Conditions Stakes (6.55pm). A small but select field of six go to post which features the classy D’bai who was last seen finishing second in a Group Three event at Longchamp last month.

He is trained by Charlie Appleby, as is Mubtasim who finished fifth in the Group Three Criterion Stakes at Newmarket last time out, a race in which Happy Power finished second.

The field is completed by Snazzy Jazzy who was second at Haydock on his latest start, former Royal Ascot winner Ostilio who has his first run since being well-beaten in Group One company in America in August 2019 and the only filly in the line-up, Final Song, who was not disgraced when seventh in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.

Elsewhere on the card, Revolver is targeting a fourth straight win since the resumption of racing in the Watch On Racing TV Handicap (5.55pm) and is another to consider for Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott who has his team in fine order.

Haydock Selections:

4.25pm Join Racing TV Now Handicap, 1m2½f, Racing TV (RTV)

Selection: Mafia Power

4.55pm British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes, 6f, RTV

Selection: Imperial Force

5.25pm Visit racingtv.com Handicap, 6f, RTV

Selection: Kapono

5.55pm Watch On Racing TV Handicap, 1m 6f, RTV

Selection: Revolver

6.25pm Listed Tapster Stakes, 1m 4f, RTV

Selection: Trueshan

6.55pm Bet At racingtv.com Conditions Stakes, 7f, RTV

Selection: Snazzy Jazzy

7.25pm Watch Race Replays At racingtv.com Maiden Stakes (Div I), 7f, RTV

Selection: Lawahed

7.55pm Watch Race Replays At racingtv.com Maiden Stakes (Div II), 7f, RTV

Selection: Raed

8.25pm Racing TV Profits Returned To Racing Handicap, 1m, RTV

Selection: Garden Oasis

Tips and odds via MyRacing.com