Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Doncaster, Kempton Park and Wolverhampton on 26 March 2022.
DONCASTER
Race 1 No9 PERSIAN FORCE
Trainer: Richard Hannon – Jockey: Rossa Ryan
As a brother to smart juvenile Gubbass and from a top stable for producing Ascot-bound juveniles, PERSIAN FORCE can take out the first race of the 2022 Flat season, the historic Brocklesby Stakes.
The son of Mehmas has shown enough in his work to indicate he can follow in the hoof prints of last year’s winner Chipotle, who himself won at the Royal meeting.
Race 5 SBK LINCOLN HERITAGE HANDICAP
No7 MUJTABA (Nap)
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: A Farragher
While supervising his World Cup runners in Dubai Haggas gave out positive vibes for unbeaten MUJTABA remaining so by landing the traditional first leg of the Spring Double. The Dubawi gelding ended a three-race winning spree with victories at Chester and Redcar and he’s strongly fancied to follow in the hoof prints of 2018 scorer Addeybb, who was a Group 1 horse masquerading as a handicapper. Godolphin’s MODERN NEWS ran well to trouble the judge in his trial for this in Meydan, while hat-trick seeking NOTRE BELLE BETE is clearly no slouch either. One that could light up the board at exaggerated odds is WHAT’S THE STORY, who is surely better than he showed in a barren 2021 campaign.
Prediction: 1st MUJTABA, 2nd Modern News, 3rd Notre Belle Bete, 4th What’s The Story
Race 6 No7 SURREY KNIGHT (Each Way)
Trainer: Charlie Fellowes – Jockey: Rossa Ryan
Respect is paid to hooded for the first time Groundbreaker, but at a bigger price in this maiden SURREY KNIGHT could take home a decent cheque. The son of Le Havre has a sublime staying pedigree, and after showing promise in his work is well worth a look in market exchanges.
KEMPTON PARK
Race 1 No6 SARANGANI
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: Jack Mitchell
Appleby reaches for headgear on SARANGANI, who has the best form of those that have raced but didn’t look straightforward when a beaten favourite on both outings at Newcastle and Chelmsford. However he’s worth another chance to put the record straight.
Race 3 No5 BANDINELLI
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: Jack Mitchell
The historic Queen’s Prize doesn’t command as much stature as in those days of yore, but good staying horses consistently do well in it and one that jumps off the page is BANDINELLI. A winner of three of his last four outings in 2021, the selection wound-up by beating that year’s winner of today’s race Sleeping Lion in gritty fashion here. His versatility is mirrored by equally good performances on turf and Polytrack, and according to his trainer he’s given out some pleasing signals ahead of this first run of the season.
Race 5 No4 TOMMY DE VITO (Nap)
Trainer: Charlie Hills – Jockey: Luke Morris
The fragile TOMMY DE VITO is showing himself to be a very decent sprinter on the all-weather and he’s strongly fancied to complete a hat-trick before moving back onto turf. He’s shown battling qualities to gain narrow victories over Run To Freedom over this course and distance and Zarzyni at Southwell and can make further progression to score from his revised mark.
Race 6 No6 WAR IN HEAVEN
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Hayley Turner
A 3lb rise for a snug first handicap triumph at Lingfield should not be sufficient to prevent WAR IN HEAVEN completing a fine hat-trick. The Exceed And Excel colt should in an admittedly warm heat have the whip hand on recent scorer Gold Medal.
Race 7 No3 STEVENSON
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Darragh Keenan
STEVENSON ran well on his belated racecourse debut at this course when third to Guilin. Easy to back that day, he’s going to be more streetwise and can live up to the promise he showed at home when minor issues prevented him from running in 2021.
WOLVERHAMPTON
Race 4 No4 CALIN’S LAD (Nap)
Trainer: Tony Carroll – Jockey: Andrew Mullen
Should they go hard in this first division of the sprint handicap, CALIN’S LAD can benefit. He hasn’t run over this distance for 18 months, and now drops back from a mile after going down narrowly in a blanket finish here in the race won by Covert Mission.
Race 7 No4 MR BEAUFORT
Trainer: Tom Clover – Jockey: Dougie Costello
This should result in a success for MR BEAUFORT, who after earning runs at Nottingham and Bath last year now makes his all-weather debut. He looks a safer option than Irish raider Thismydream for whom a market check is advised nevertheless.
Place Accumulater Perm (Races 2-8)
5, 8 x 5, 7 x 4, 3, 6 x 8, 1, 9 x 10, 5 x 4 x 1, 8
R144
