A very nice 310-1 treble at Doncaster on Saturday courtesy of Code Red (11-1), Dungannon (8-1) and Elm Park (15-8). I hope that you were on but what happened to Emerahldz? Isn’t it just typical that Richard Fahey won the race with his second string.
Flat racing is doing its best to delay the onset of winter with the Breeders’ Cup later this week and I shall be previewing the big races in detail. In the meantime they are still racing on the level at Windsor and Tuesday’s card looks promising for favourite backers.
The action kicks off at 1.00 and Martyn Meade’s Navigate looks likely to go off at odds-on here. He ran a good race at York last time in a much better race won by Mutamakkin and had chief rival Nortron about five lengths behind in sixth. Andrew Balding’s runner was making his debut so should improve but Navigate was travelling like a winner at the furlong pole and should appreciate the shorter trip here.
Magic Dancer looks like another solid favourite in the second race. He is a son of Norse Dancer who some of you may remember was third in the 2000 Guineas and fourth in the Derby. I backed him each-way for the Derby and he looked as though he was sure to get placed but the trip just caught him out. Magic Dancer was beaten a nose on his debut but I am not quite sure how. I have watched the video several times and every time he looks like he’s won it.
We cannot desert the Balding stable after his Saturday double and Geordan Murphy was laughing at the opposition when winning here last time out. He could be let in lightly with a rating of 75 and has most to fear from Meade’s Solo Hunter. He also looked like he’d won at Chepstow last time but the photo finish revealed otherwise. Remind me never to bet on photo finishes!
In the 2.30 I am told that So Noble is still ahead of the handicapper with a 6lbs penalty. He did win with his ears pricked last time so there should be more in the locker. The danger has to be that man Fahey again with Rangi Chase who won easily in similar ground at Pontefract.
If we have put the blight on the favourites, my final selection of the day is for another course and distance winner in Dalgig. David Pipe will be bringing out his big guns for the new jumps season shortly but saddled an eight-length flat winner at Newbury at the weekend. Dalgig won easily last time and has a hood on here to prevent him from star-gazing in the closing stages. He’s actually lower in the weights if you take Mikey Ennis’s 7lbs claim into account and 8-1 was too good to miss.
Navigate 1.00 @4-6 Betfair
Magic Dancer 1.30 @10-11 Betfair
Geordan Murphy 2.00 @5-2 Bet Victor
So Noble 2.30 @13-8 Bet365
Dalgig 3.30 @8-1 Ladbrokes
