There are decent flat and jumps meetings in the UK on Friday including the reappearance of the smart Josses Hill at Doncaster. Nicky Henderson’s gelding was runner-up to Ptit Zig on his chasing bow at Ascot and meets nothing of that calibre at Town Moor. Anything other than a comfortable victory would be a surprise but he is likely to start a strong odds-on favourite.
Henderson has runners at Doncaster and Huntingdon with winning chances and will be looking to improve his strike rate after a slow start to the season. He should be among the winners but I am looking to the all-weather at Lingfield for my two bets of the day.
It will be interesting to see how Mick Channon’s Sgt Reckless gets on in the mile and a half maiden at 1.10. It isn’t that often that you see an eight-year-old start favourite first time out on the flat but the son of Imperial Dancer was a smart novice hurdler last season. He may find Ralph Beckett’s Belrog the main threat here, a lightly-raced son of New Approach.
My first wager is on Sir Mark Prescott’s Don’t Be who is trying to complete a four-timer in the 2.15 race. Prescott is a master at setting up a sequence with his handicappers and Don’t Be has worked her way up from a mark of 66 to 82. Much of the credit for her improvement must go to jockey Luke Morris who has ridden her to all three victories.
Morris would not win any medals for style but he knows how to get the best out of his mounts. She scored at Wolverhampton in November and followed up at Lingfield in December. She then completed her hat-trick by beating Brigliadoro by a short-head just before Christmas. The runner-up has won since so a 6lbs rise may not necessarily be enough to stop her on Friday. The weights give Zman Awal a good chance of reversing recent form with Bint Dandy and James Fanshawe’s four-year-old looks the main danger.
In the 3.25 I am siding with Shelley Birkett and Sabre Rock to complete a hat-trick for the Newmarket yard of Julia Feilden. Sabre Rock seems to have settled down since being taken down the start early and has won his last two starts over course and distance. After beating Turnbury by half a length he followed up in some style to beat Catching Zeds by two and three-quarter lengths. He could be called the winner a long way out that day and connections are keen to strike again before he is re-assessed.
The danger looks to be Top Set who is still a maiden after 13 attempts. He ran on from a long way back to finish second to Moulin Rouge last time under Hayley Turner. Seb Sanders has ridden the gelding before and takes over on Friday. I am just put off by the fact that he is yet to win and it is difficult to deliver a horse fast and late here in a big field.
Don’t Be 2.15 @9-4 Bet365
Sabre Rock 3.25 @9-4 Paddy Power
