Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from the Doncaster St Ledger Festival, Chester, Lingfield Park, Musselburgh & Fontwell Park.
DONCASTER
Race 3: No2 – BARBILL (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Tom Marquand
Aside from a disastrous run in the Stewards Cup, BARBILL has an unblemished record this season. Having landed some good bets on reappearance at Haydock he put the Goodwood reverse behind him by scoring on good to soft ground at Chester. He showed his well being by almost bucking his lad off after his winding-up gallop for this Portland Handicap, and if again getting his toe into the ground can be a major player.
Race 4: BET365 PARK STAKES (Group 2)
No6 – ONE MASTER (Nap)
Trainer: William Haggas – Jockey: Tom Marquand
This ranks as one of the highlights of the four-day Festival, with Wichita, Limato, and ONE MASTER the names to conjure with. Wichita forced a photo with Kameko in the 2,000 Guineas before posting good efforts in further Group 1s at Ascot and Goodwood. But when equipped with first-time blinkers the Coolmore colt failed to fire in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville. Limato was hugely impressive in landing a Group 3 at Newmarket in late June and returns refreshed from a break. The eight-year-old will enjoy today’s underfoot conditions but might have to give best to the mare One Master. Considering how important cut in the ground is to the six-year-old, she did well to pull Goodwood’s Oak Tree Stakes out of the fire in the final stride. She possibly allowed Safe Voyage too much rope when beaten three and a half lengths by that rival in the City Of York Stakes last month, but can bounce back from that to tee herself up for a high profile autumn campaign.
Race 5: PERTEMPS ST LEGER (Group 1)
No5 – HUKUM
Trainer: Owen Burrows – Jockey: Jim Crowley
Our Final Classic has attracted a bigger field than usual, reflecting the wide-open nature of the contest. As expected, Aidan O’Brien throws his weight behind the contest with three contenders, and his son Joseph with one. SANTIAGO looks the pick of Aidan’s trio with Frankie Dettori in the hot seat, and the Queen’s Vase winner lost no caste in defeat when finishing third to Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup. Joseph’s GALILEO CHROME brings a strong staying pedigree to the table, and after three straight wins at an admittedly lower level is very much the joker in the pack. PYLEDRIVER looked the real deal by way of his runaway triumph in York’s Great Voltigeur Stakes, having flopped in the Investec Derby prior to that. His earlier triumph at Royal Ascot provides him with sufficient evidence to make him the form pick. However, the one with more room for improvement is HUKUM, who can set the seal on a stellar year for owner Sheikh Hamdan. The Sea The Stars colt is far better than his narrow margin victory in a Royal Ascot handicap implies, and when taking out the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury did so in eye taking style. That was only a Group 3, but hinted at far better to come.
Prediction
1st HUKUM
2nd Santiago
3rd Pyledriver
4th Galileo Chrome
5th Subjectivist
6th English King
1st HUKUM
2nd Santiago
3rd Pyledriver
4th Galileo Chrome
5th Subjectivist
6th English King
Race 6: No2 – DINGLE
Trainer: Richard Hannon – Jockey: Pat Dobbs
DINGLE has the progressive aura to land this competitive nursery on the way to better things. His eye taking run behind Naval Crown at York was endorsed when he opened his account on handicap debut at Kempton. The son of Footstepsinthesand enjoyed that step up to a mile and showed gritty determination to edge ahead of Recovery Run. His trainer does well with this type of individual during the autumn when softer conditions prevail.
CHESTER
Race 2: No4 – HEREBY (Nap)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Paul Hanagan
HEREBY, an impressive multiple winner who scored on five of her seven starts last year has confirmed with two placed efforts in better company that she’s trained on. The Pivotal filly is out of Oaks winner Look Here, and that soft ground-favouring pedigree should stand her in good stead as she embarks on an autumn campaign. She’s up against a tough opponent in Morando but can have that one’s measure.
Race 3: No1 – MAYDANNY
Trainer: Mark Johnston – Jockey: Jack Mitchell
Few handicaps have been won with the authority MAYDANNY displayed at the Glorious Goodwood fixture. His five lengths demolition of stablemate Sky Defender wasn’t replicated at York, but he was unable to assume a dominating role, and that looks achievable on the sharp turns of the Roodeye. The top weight is in good heart and can bounce back.
LINGFIELD PARK
Race 1: No5 – SINGLE
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: George Bass
SINGLE is an infrequent winner, but a filly with a consistent ring to her form. She benefitted from a strong gallop and saw the leaders come back to her when scoring at Salisbury, but that didn’t happen last time at Goodwood where she couldn’t strike a blow. However, the signals from the Channon gallops are positive for a better display here and especially if there’s a good pace on from the off.
Race 2: No6 – CELTIC ART (Nap)
Trainer: Paul Cole – Jockey: Luke Morris
As the only three-year-old in this conditions race, CELTIC ART receives weight from each of his five opponents. The promise displayed in his juvenile season hasn’t quite crossed over, and he was readily put in his place by Subjectivist in the March Stakes at Goodwood. However, at the three-furlong pole he was travelling as well as the winner but didn’t stay. Back to a more suitable mile and a half, he’s capable of upsetting the applecart and is a colt worth persevering with.
MUSSELBURGH
Race 2: No6 – RISK OF THUNDER (Nap)
Trainer: James Tate – Jockey: PJ McDonald
This has cut up in favour of RISK OF THUNDER, who gave it a good shot against the useful Winter Power at Ripon last week. There’s nothing of that calibre amongst the opposition following the defection of Ey Up It’s Maggie.
Race 3: No4 – CHOOSEY (Each Way)
Trainer: Mick Easterby – Jockey: Ben Robinson
Since joining his trainer from a southern yard, CHOOSEY has only once started at less than 14-1. This season he’s returned 50-1, 22-1 and 33-1, but after troubling the judge in Victory Angel’s race over this course and distance last week this powerful sprinter is ready to come good and will be no roughie.
FONTWELL PARK
Race 2: No7 – GIVEPEACEACHANCE (Nap)
Trainer: Denis Coakley – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
GIVEPEACEACHANCE gets an eye taking jockey booking for a trainer that does well with his occasional jumps runners. The mare is a maiden on the Flat but has posted a number of placed efforts in that field. Furthermore, she enjoyed and benefitted from her first sighting of hurdles back in January, and is in good heart for this belated return to the fray.
Race 4: No13 – ZOLTAN VARGA (Each Way)
Trainer: Sheena West – Jockey: Marc Goldstein
Kept hurdling since joining this trainer, ZOLTAN VARGA can make an impact on his first run since the end of January. The 19-race maiden earned in each of his three starts in handicaps, and is reported fit and firing for a stable that excels with cast-offs from bigger stables.
