Tag: Doncaster

Doncaster Wednesday Preview

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Lingfield’s all-weather surface provided the best of the entertainment at the weekend after Sandown and Wincanton were lost to the weather. We kicked off with an 11-4 winner but then suffered a bout of seconditis with our remaining three selections all finding one too good.

The weather situation has eased slightly and we should be in for some decent national hunt racing at Warwick and Kempton this coming Saturday. The Warwick Chase sometimes throws up a decent Grand National prospect whilst Kempton’s Lanzarote Hurdle looks wide open. I have not seen any confirmed running plans so I’m going to wait until nearer the day before risking any cash.

Doncaster’s Wednesday card is not the greatest in the world but at least it helps to get the show back on the road. Trainer Nicky Henderson had an up-and-down Christmas with the victory of Bobs Worth and the worry of Sprinter Sacre’s heart problems. He has a runner in each of the opening three races at Town Moor tomorrow and all have chances.

Nordic Quest runs in the opener after an encouraging debut at Huntingdon when third to Wadswick Court. Namibian, a Group 3 winner on the flat when trained by Mark Johnston, was a disappointing eighth in that race after being eased to a walk. Nordic Quest was rated some 30lbs inferior to Namibian on the level but a few flights of hurdles can make a surprising amount of difference.

Nesterenko carries the Henderson hopes in the second race and bids to follow up an impressive 9-length victory here last month. Mr Mitchell takes off 7lbs and this looks a competitive race but he’s worth a chance at the odds on offer.

Act Alone is the third of the Lambourn raiding party as he bids to get off the mark in the novice hurdle. He was beaten at odds-on by Lemon Ground in a photo finish at Fontwell but a repeat of that effort might be good enough.

Over at Lingfield, it is worth taking note of Miguel Grau in the handicap at 2.00. He is Roger Varian’s only runner on the card and won despite running a little too freely last time out. The four-year-old is still lightly raced and could be up to defying a penalty.

Nordic Quest 12.10 Doncaster

Nesterenko 12.40 Doncaster 5-2 William Hill

Act Alone 1.10 Doncaster

Miguel Grau 2.00 Lingfield 9-4 Coral

Racing Preview – Saturday 14th December

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All of our selections ran well on Friday but only Oscar Whisky emerged as a winner. Full credit to Wonderful Charm for putting up a game effort trying to concede 8lbs. Both horses look to have a bright future over fences.

I must admit to being surprised by Monbeg Dude coming to beat Theatre Guide. I had mistakenly believed that he really needed soft ground to be at his best but clearly he can cope with anything in this grade. I don’t think that I will be rushing to back him at 20-1 for the Grand National though as he is a bit on the small side and could find it difficult to lay up on the first circuit.

Not that size is everything at Aintree as old Sunnyhillboy reminded us when winning the staying hurdle under AP McCoy. He was so unlucky to be pipped by Neptune Collonges a couple of years ago but was well beaten when departing at the last this time around.

There is a disappointing turnout for the supporting card at Cheltenham on Saturday with The New One having only Zarkandar as a realistic opponent in the International Hurdle and a miserable turnout of just four for the Relkeel Hurdle. I’d have to question the race planners on having Grade 2 two-mile and two and a half-mile hurdle races on the same card. You could easily merge the fields to make one decent race!

Johns Spirit and Colour Squadron were my choices for the December Gold Cup earlier in the week and I still cannot split them. I can’t help feeling that Easter Meteor is over-priced at 16-1 so am going to have a little each-way on him too.

There are more interesting betting races over at Doncaster and I’m going to have a flutter on Ted Spread at 12-1. He won the Chester Vase in 2010 before beating only one home in the Epsom Derby. Clearly he showed Paul Nicholls something at home as he was heavily backed for races like the County Hurdle and Imperial Cup but failed to deliver the goods.

He is now with Suzy Smith and this might be the time to catch him. It wouldn’t be the first time a horse has been transformed by a change of stables.

I also like the look of Bear’s Affair in the handicap chase for Nicky Henderson. The Lambourn maestro is sending a strong team up north including Triumph hope Royal Irish Hussar and I wouldn’t be surprised if he bagged a few winners. Bear’s Affair has come up against Le Bec and Wonderful Charm, arguably two of the best staying novices seen so far this season. He won at Kempton last time and is only up 4lbs for this.

*Ante-post Colour Squadron 6-1

*Ante-post Johns Spirit 13-2

(each-way) Easter Meteor at 16-1 BetBright

Ted Spread 12-1 Bet365

Bear’s Affair 4-1 William Hill

Racing Preview 9th November

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Clearly I was tempting fate by hoping for a favourable draw for my ante-post selections in the November Handicap! Communicator has been drawn in stall 17 with Conduct even further out in stall 21. A quick delve into the history books reveals that a high draw isn’t necessarily fatal with nine of the past eleven winners being drawn in double-figure stalls. Even so, my confidence has certainly taken a knock for tomorrow’s race. The gamble of the race is a horse called Rhombus. I can’t see it winning myself but good luck to whoever is behind the midweek plunge.

Sprint handicaps at the end of the season are notoriously difficult but Eton Rifles arrives at Doncaster fresher than most. He won the Wentworth Stakes last year and bids for a repeat on his favoured soft ground. He was just denied by Steps in a handicap at Ascot last month after looking the likely winner with a furlong to travel. He stays seven furlongs so should certainly be staying on at the finish. I take him at 6-1 to get the better of the consistent Highland Colori and Jack Dexter.

The jumping season is getting into top gear now and grabbed the spotlight with McCoy’s 4000th winner this week. The action moves on to Wincanton tomorrow and Paul Nicholls introduces two horses that I’ve very much been looking forward to seeing.

Far West went into the Triumph Hurdle as one of the favourites but was left trailing by Our Conor’s extraordinary performance. Time will tell whether Our Conor is exceptional or whether it was a weak renewal of the juvenile championship. The Paul Nicholls-trained four-year-old looked a bit short of a change of gear at times last season and will presumably be up with the pace tomorrow. Melodic Rendezvous is the obvious danger but he is returning after suffering an injury that ruled him out of Cheltenham and Aintree and may just be a bit ring rusty.

My nap of the day is stable companion Wonderful Charm who looks a possible RSA Chase prospect. Nicholls thought enough of the gelding to run him in the World Hurdle last March but he has always had chasing in mind. He didn’t put a foot wrong on his debut and can chalk up a second victory at the expense of Alan King’s Meister Eckhart.

(Doncaster) 2.25 Eton Rifles 6-1 Bet Victor

(Wincanton) 2.05 Far West 7-2 Ladbrokes

(Wincanton) 3.15 Wonderful Charm 7-4 William Hill

November Handicap Preview

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John Gosden has simplified matters regarding the November Handicap by announcing the sale of the prolific winner Thomas Hobson to go jumping. He will now join the all-powerful Mullins stable and you wouldn’t bet against him making the grade in that sphere. That reduces Gosden’s entry to the top two in the handicap on Saturday, Aiken and Lahaag.

Aiken has not shown his true form this season whilst Lahaag bounced back with a win at York last time out. That was his first venture over a mile and a half and he responded to a patient ride from Paul Hanagan to swoop late. It is true that he has failed to trouble the judge twice at Doncaster but I wouldn’t read too much into that and he must have a decent chance.

I have been singing the praises of William Haggas all season for his excellent record in the big handicaps and he runs Conduct here. This one has the right profile for a race like this having started life with Sir Michael Stoute and being very lightly raced. He has had just two outings for Haggas, possibly needing the first one after a year off the track and then running third here over a mile and a quarter. Seb Sanders is booked and this likeable grey could well start favourite.

Of course there are plenty of possibilities for this end-of-season lottery but I can’t help but think Communicator is overpriced at 20-1. He was second here last year for Andrew Balding and is now running off a 3lbs lower mark.  It is true that he has not been at his best but he could just have been saved for this and he is too good to ignore at the available price.

The Queen’s Border Legend is another one with scope for improvement and came from well off the pace to win at Nottingham. I felt the leaders went off much too fast that day so he may have been slightly flattered by that victory and he also has to prove that he stays.

I’ll take the 20-1 Communicator and 7-1 about Conduct and hope that neither is drawn out in the car park!

Communicator 20-1 Bet365, Coral

Conduct 7-1 Skybet, William Hill

 

Horse Racing Preview 25th October

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The curtain may be coming down on the flat turf season but there are still some good quality cards on offer this weekend at Doncaster and Newbury. Although the going will be on the slow side, both courses are flat galloping tracks with very few hard luck stories for beaten horses.

I recently tipped Richard Hannon’s Tea In Transvaal despite the fact that she was still a maiden after four attempts and she bolted up by six lengths. The same colours are carried tomorrow by Bon Voyage who has been beaten in all four starts to date and I am anticipating a similar result. The stable have always held this colt in high regard and he has been battling away well in valuable sales races. He will find Friday’s company a lot easier to deal with and should represent value at odds of around even money.

Betting in handicaps at this time of year is a risky business but there are some tempting propositions at both flat meetings. The Artsign Handicap at 4.20 features three progressive types in Zain Eagle, Ajman Bridge and Squire Osbaldeston. Zain Eagle cruised home at Doncaster before flopping at Chester under a big weight whilst Ajman Bridge was slightly disappointing at Newmarket last time out. Preference is for Squire Osbaldeston who won comfortably at Lingfield and has the scope to make a group horse next season. I don’t expect the 4-1 with Ladbrokes to last too long.

My bet of the day at Newbury is John Gosden’s sprinter Blessington who put up a promising seasonal debut when second to Intibaah at Ascot. He was racing off a light weight that day but beat off some seasoned campaigners and must have every chance of going one better on Friday. William Buick is in the saddle and he should pick up this prize on the way to better things next season.

It promises to be an exciting weekend with The Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and The Cox Plate in Australia.

(Doncaster) 2.40 Bon Voyage

(Doncaster) 4.20 Squire Osbaldeston 4-1 Ladbrokes

(Newbury) 5.10 Blessington 5-4 Coral

Yarmouth Tuesday 17th September Preview

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After a hugely successful Doncaster St Leger meeting (winning on all four days) and some excellent Arc Trials on Sunday, the racing is definitely of a lower key this week. Even so, there are still some nice horses in action at Yarmouth this week and it is well worth taking a look at the opening day.

The Nursery at 3.00 features three interesting contenders with the proven Dancealot meeting some promising types in Ghaawy and Solidarity. Sir Michael Stoute’s Ghaawy won his maiden without the jockey having to get too serious and is preferred to the Godolphin horse but Dancealot has done nothing wrong and could be a tough nut to crack. With the soft going throwing another unknown into the equation I shall pass this one over.

Master Of War should have the 5.00 in the bag after getting within a length and a quarter of Tropics last time. The other three runners all have plenty of ability but cannot boast a great deal in the way of recent form. I doubt that the bookies will be giving much away with the favourite so I’m investing my “hard-earned” cash on the five-runner Boodles Diamond Handicap at 4.00.

At first glance this looked as though it would be a clash between hat-trick seeking Thomas Hobson and easy last time out winner Battalion but I’m passing them both over in favour of Shrewd. The going at Yarmouth is officially soft and is unlikely to change a great deal before racing and this horse has won on soft and heavy.

It was his last run that alerted me to his chances here. Sent off at 20-1 under young Thomas Brown, he contested a valuable Heritage Handicap at Ascot. The son of Street Sense was settled in rear and that is seldom a good place to be in a large field at the Berkshire course. His rider seemed to be hoping for a parting of the waves on the inside up the home straight but it never materialised. He ended up finishing around four lengths behind Excellent Result without coming off the bridle.

Jamie Spencer takes over tomorrow and I’m hoping that he can follow up the armchair ride that he enjoyed on The Lark at Doncaster. With Thomas Hobson an obvious threat and Battalion also winning with his head in his chest last time it won’t be straight forward but I think 4-1 is great value.

Shrewd 4-1 William Hill