Good evening folks
Two final selections below, along with the tips already sent and their write ups. Nothing more for Saturday.
One proper handicap again & Raatea was a bit unlucky at the start. That’s racing!
Just a brief reminder that as I said this previously, these Festival bets are kept separate from the main account and I will be personally throwing targeted darts at a few biggies ! All selections are picked in a hard working manner though but big races, especially Stakes races, are very tough, especially the 2 & 3 year old ones at Festivals such as this. I will also throw in a few others at the away meetings out of this pot of points and money from my pots I ALWAYS keep to one side for this meeting and not my main betting banks/main service accounts.
5:20 Doncaster
LA TRINIDAD – 1.25 Pt EW @ 14/1 5 places Skybet, 16/1 4 places generally
SPIORADALTA – 1/2 Pt EW @ 28/1 4 places generally
Loves Doncaster and this C &D (From 3 runs to date, he is 2 wins & a 4th!) and he bolted up here 3 runs back showing a electric turn of foot. Jonny Peate is his jockey (2 wins on him) gets back in the plate and if you watch his last run in a Class 2 at York he was most unlucky, cantering then not clear run suggesting he was still in great form. Peate’s 3lb will be off his back from that York run and I expect him to go very close granted he gets the rub of the green and conditions continue to dry (wouldn’t want much if any rain nor sticky terrain which is the only negative IMO) but we are getting a price which I am more than happy with.
3 year old’s have a good record in this and Spioradalta has been on my mind for a decent backend handicap after a luckless run at Goodwood. Will enjoy conditions and thanks to the jockey’s 5lb claim, will carry the featherweight of 7st 11lb and worth chancing IMO!
1:50 Doncaster
SUNWAY – 1/2 Pt EW @ 17/1 boost Unibet, 16/1 generally
2:25 Doncaster
KIMNGRACE – 3/4 Pt EW @ 18/1 5 places generally
TEES SPIRIT – 3/4 Pt EW @ 18/1 5 places Bet365, 16/1 6 places 14/1 5 places generally
DUSKY LORD – 1/2 Pt EW @ 60/1 6 places Bet365, 55/1 6 places boost Will Hill, 50/1 7 places Skybet & 50’s 6 places generally (drifting so may get bigger)
Tipped LTO at York, very much caught the eye after a luckless run then came hoe very strongly. I like that George Rooke is reunited with her. He is 2 wins and a narrow 2nd aboard her so if drawn in the right place (pace around her) then I think she can go very well carrying just 8st 7lb!
Tees Spirit took the eye last weekend at Haydock after nearly being wiped out at the start, a significant return to form under today’s useful 7lb claiming pilot Mia Nicholls who rides for only the 2nd time. She has a very good record since starting out, especially on sprinters., returning 3 winners, 9 placers from 13 in handicaps for the yard! The draw (well who knows? but the pace seems middle to high on the pace maps I looked at) may be a drawback but IMO he should go well off effectively 8st 6lb’s.
Dusky Lord left Roger Varian last autumn, and was bought by the canny Stuart Williams yard and no doubt he has probably had this race in mind as an end-game target for some time. Williams has a cracking record in handicaps at this meeting down the years with a strike-rate in excess of 33%
He was drawn 21 of 21 in this race last year and ran quite well despite having to challenge away from the bulk of the action (first four home drawn 14, 3, 5 and 6), a promising effort on which he delivered in style by winning the Silver Cup at Ayr by three lengths from a mark of 90.
The return of cheekpieces, worn only twice previously, when runner-up at Goodwood and when winning at Ayr where he absolutely took apart a Class 2, 25 runner race by 3 lengths with cut in the ground! They seemed to spark a considerable amount of improvement that day so it’s obviously encouraging to see the same headgear back for the first time since!
This year’s three runs have featured two very low-key runs but the middle one at Sandown showed he’s still got plenty of appetite for the game and he finished only just behind Call Me Ginger that day.
Having slipped back to 92, he’s handicapped to strike again and is entered at Ayr again next week for good measure
2:40 Chester
DARK PINE – 1 Pt Win @ 10/1 generally
David Loughnane’s six-year-old loves Chester and he has won here off 93 and finished a neck second of 90, both times finishing well when there was cut in the ground. I loves to race right handed, conditions will be very much to his liking and he might just get the strong gallop he craves as well, with Box To Box likely to go hard early from his wide draw in a bid to dominate the pace from Sweet Reward and Belhaven.
That could play into the hands of Dark Pine who has come down 5lb in three runs to a very competitive-looking mark of 86. Laura Pearson gets on well with him and is 2 from 4 in Handicaps at this distance for the yard and a 28% win SR ALL H’caps!
3:00 Doncaster
BIGGLES – 1.25 Pt Win @ 13/2 William Hill, 6/1 generally
With question marks over ground conditions for most of the field, this lad will relish it, and this galloping track so should be primed for a massive run for a yard that has a great record at this track.
3:35 Doncaster St Leger
DENMARK – 1/2 Pt EW @ 50/1 4 places Skybet & Will Hill, 75/1 boost 66’s & 50’s generally
Speculative but has class and cut in the ground looks key! With 4 places on offer I thought worth a poke at a massive price.
4:10 Doncaster
LIGHTENING COMPANY – 1.25 Pt Win @ 14/1 generally
The trainers last 5 runners on turf have produced form figures of 1,2,5,2,1! This horse hinted at a return to form LTO and his previous win at Pontefract in May threw up so many winners of decent handicaps. He could shock these if they don’t go a dawdle.