The flat season continues in the UK and Ireland on Sunday and as the season ahead begins to take shape there is some decent action on a few cards. We’ll park the jump racing until the Grand National meeting comes around and focus fully on the flat.
After looking through the cards there are a couple of races at Doncaster for us to target as well as one over in Ireland at Naas as we look to build on what has been an incredibly good March for us so far.
1.20 Doncaster
Preview
A big field of 20 for the opener where we see a Class 4 handicap over the straight 7 furlongs. At 11/2 the field, this is a very open heat with many in with chances. Russian Virtue is the current favourite from the Menusier yard but he’s shown very little in 3 runs before obtaining a handicap mark. Open to improvement but there’s nothing obvious in what he’s shown on the track so is passed over. Dirty Rascal has his first run for the in form George Boughey yard & should go well albeit he’s a little inconsistent whilst Love Destiny has been running well on the all weather but has it to prove back on turf.
Betting
We are putting our faith in Skontonovski who is a maiden after 6 starts & this is his first run since being gelded. As a 2 year old, he was fancied on debut when going off at 7/2 & finishing 5th to Lazuli who is now rated 109 (our selection has a mark of just 74 here). He then improved to finish a close up 2nd to Tritonic before struggling in the Weatherby’s race here on ground too quick. He started last year with a decent run at Haydock where he perhaps saw too much daylight & travelled well for a long way but was still only beaten just over 2 lengths. Stepped up in trip at Nottingham, he was 5th of 7 but finished on the heels of the leaders but he again travelled well & stumbled quite badly when he was about to launch a challenge & that knocked the stuffing out of him. Happy to ignore his last run on heavy ground & over a trip too far, he’ll be much more at home here. Good ground looks ideal & he’s got plenty of stamina so with the yard going well & the jockey good value for a 5lb claim, he should go close off a falling mark.
Tips
Back Skontonovski (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 8.00 BetVictor BOG (⅕ odds 1-5)
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2.50 Naas
Preview
This is a cracking 19 runner handicap over 6 furlongs & there’ll be plenty of pointers for the rest of the season come from this race. Aiden O’Brien has the favourite in Forest Of Dreams who is having his first start in a handicap & this expensive purchase should have a good season but it’s questionable as to whether a race of this nature is up his street. Power Over Me from the Ger Lyons yard won his maiden over course & distance, and steps straight into handicaps. He could be anything but his inexperience doesn’t make him the most obvious bet. Arcanears is a consistent type but struggles to win on turf, Fastar landed this last year but is 10lbs higher and, at big prices, Half Nutz & Chessman could go well.
Betting
The selection is Rough Diamond, a lightly raced sprinter from a yard that excels with its sprinters. He’s seen the track just 3 times, all at the Curragh. On debut, he went off at 28/1 but showed an excellent turn of foot to come from off the pace to land an 18 runner maiden. He proved that to be no fluke when 2nd, albeit a distant 2nd, in a handicap over the same course & distance behind Lustown Baba who has continued in fine form & is now rated 106 (the selection is off 86). Both those starts were over this trip on soft ground, which is likely again today, & his one disappointment was last time out when heavy ground & 7 furlongs proved beyond him. Dropped 2lbs from that & back at a more suitable trip on better ground, this lightly raced 4 year old will surely go well & shouldn’t be found wanting for fitness given he won on debut last year.
Tips
Back Rough Diamond (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 9.00 Betfair Sportsbook BOG (⅕ odds 1-5)
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4.50 Doncaster
Preview
19 runners & 6 furlongs for this Class 3 handicap and, as is the norm at this time of year, it has an incredibly open feel to it. Lincoln Park is favourite off the back of a win at Southwell last time out but form on Fibresand is always questionable & he’s surely better on softer ground whilst Molls Memory is another who needs heavy ground. Wentworth Falls goes well here but a draw in 1 tempers enthusiasm whilst Gunmetal’s mark continues to fall & he’s sure to strike at one point but he flatters to deceive all too often. Richard Fahey runs two & has said he expects Alben Spirit to come out on top of the pair but also said he’ll need his first run.
Betting
Instead, we’ll side with 2 consistent campaigners who generally give their running in big field straight track handicaps. The record of Fortamour in straight track handicaps over the last 12 months reads 2-3-3-3-1-0-3. The one disappointment can be ignored as that was over 7 furlongs on heavy ground & it’s interesting that the win amongst those runs was over this trip off just 1lb lower on this ground in a Class 2. He’s raced just 6 times on turf & provided he gets the gaps under his hold up running style, he’s surely going to be in the mix, especially as he’s already been out this year, back in January, when he was 3rd on the all weather.
When he won at Ascot last season, he won by just a head from our second bet, Rathbone. The runner up raced off 90 that day & gets in here off 3lb lower; that in itself is enough to recommend a bet. Since then, he’s had excuses, mainly the ground as soft doesn’t suit & 3 runs on the all weather, a surface he’s yet to win on. That said, he did run well on the Tapeta at Newcastle 2 starts ago when a close 5th over 7 furlongs where he was noted as travelling very well until inside the last furlong. In his 17 starts on turf, he’s finished in the first 2 six times & it’s worth noting each of those 6 runs was when encountering his ideal conditions of 6 furlongs on good or better ground. Another with fitness guaranteed, he’s also likely to go well in a competitive looking heat.
Tips
VOID – Back Fortamour (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 10.00 William Hill BOG (⅕ odds 1-5)
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Back Rathbone (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 12.00 Betfair BOG (⅕ odds 1-5)
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