Tag Archive for: Doncaster

Coltor carrying hopes of Cheltenham success for Nick Bradley Racing

/in /by

Nick Bradley and Roger Fell are mostly associated with winners on the Flat, but they are planning an audacious raid on the Cheltenham Festival with ex-Dermot Weld inmate Coltor.

Fifth in the Boodles Fred Winter at Prestbury Park when trained by Weld in 2021, the dual-purpose six-year-old won four times for the legendary Irish handler while housed at Rosewell House, before switching the Curragh for North Yorkshire at a cost of 25,000 guineas last autumn.

A fact-finding mission on the Flat identified the son of Free Eagle requires further than the minimum two miles these days and the plan was hatched to target either the Coral Cup or Pertemps Final at the Festival next month.

Having qualified for the longer of the two races by finishing a close-up second at Musselburgh recently – with Rendlesham winner Wakool back in fourth – Bradley suggests the Pertemps could be the perfect spot for his rare jumps runner unless conditions dictate dropping back in distance.

“We took him for a spin at Kempton on the all-weather to learn a little bit and Tom Marquand rode him. He said there is no way in the world he is a two-mile hurdler,” explained the managing director of Nick Bradley Racing.

“If you look in Ireland they were using various types of headgear, which I’m not a fan of. So we took it all off, went back to basics over two miles on the Flat to get him from 85 per cent fit to 100 per cent fit, so we could go to Musselburgh for the Pertemps qualifier.

“My assistant is called Lewis Poskitt and he needs all the credit as he spotted the race. We were thinking Musselburgh or the Haydock race and obviously we qualified by finishing second anyway so didn’t need to run at Haydock.”

He went on: “That was a great run and he’s come out of the race fine and now he is being put away for a run in either the Pertemps or the Coral Cup. He will probably go for the Pertemps, but if it comes up soft or heavy then it would be Coral Cup.

“The horse who finished behind us at Musselburgh won the Rendlesham and I think we go there with a massive chance.”

It would not be the first time Bradley has enjoyed success at the Festival as he was the man responsible for purchasing Junior on behalf of Middleham Park Racing for £35,000 before he went on to strike at both Royal Ascot and then by a whopping 24-lengths in the Kim Muir while trained by David Pipe.

Nick Bradley speaks to a jockey at Beverley
Nick Bradley speaks to a jockey at Beverley (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Years ago I bought a horse called Junior who won at Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival,” continued Bradley.

“He had the widest winning margin at the Festival until Tiger Roll beat him the other year. He is one I’ve enjoyed success with before.”

Meanwhile, with the start of the Flat turf season just over a month away, Bradley and Fell are targeting Doncaster’s SBK Lincoln with another of their new recruits, Toshizou.

Formerly trained by Joseph O’Brien, he is a best price of 33-1 for the prestigious season-opening handicap and Bradley believes his odds offer real value judged on his best form in Ireland.

He added: “If you watch his two runs last year – the run at the start of the season was really good, he was just too far back. Then he was sent off favourite next time and I thought he ran fine that day but came back lame.

“We got him going early January and we’re on target for the Lincoln. At the moment he might need a little help to get in, but it’s a race that will cut up plenty.

“He will go and have his first away day in about 10 days and we don’t know levels of ability or anything like that at present, but based on the form of his first run in 2022, he was a very well-handicapped horse then and I told all the owners to back him at 40-1 for the Lincoln a few weeks ago. I don’t know what price he is now, but he was definitely the wrong price at 40-1.

“The horse has done everything right so far, but March will be the month we find out more.”

Unforgotten puts down Lincoln marker in Lingfield victory

/in /by

Unforgotten looks poised to run in the SBK Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster after continuing his promising comeback from a near two-year absence at Lingfield on Friday.

Having got off the mark at the third time of asking in a seven-furlong Newcastle novice, an injury subsequently prevented him from running as a four-year-old.

The lightly-raced son of Exceed And Excel had been sidelined for 659 days before making a winning return when trying a mile for the first time at Lingfield earlier this month.

He followed up with another success over the same course and distance, and looks set to make up for lost time if his victory in the Spreadex Sports 2nd To Rag Insurance Handicap is taken at face value.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Godolphin gelding was three-wide off the final bend under Robert Havlin, but the 5-6 favourite found plenty for pressure and looked better the further he went, swooping past Brunel Charm inside the final 200 yards to score by half a three-quarters of a length.

Paddy Power cut Unforgotten to 10-1 from 14-1 for the Doncaster showpiece on April 1.

Thady Gosden, speaking from Qatar, said: “He is a horse who has had a slightly unlucky career so far, but he is back on track now.

“He won his last start well and obviously won nicely today, and we will have to consider the Lincoln. We’ll see how the ground shapes up and how he’s taken it.

“He stretched out nicely over the mile and he seems to appreciate that extra distance. Let’s see how he comes out of the race and take things from there.”

Smith completed a Robert Havlin double
Smith completed a Robert Havlin double (John Walton/PA)

Smith (3-1) gave Havlin a double on the card as he guided the Lydia Richards-trained seven-year-old to a neck success in the two-mile BetUK’s Acca Club £5 Free Bet Handicap.

It was the Dawn Approach gelding’s seventh career success and sixth on the all-weather.

Godolphin similarly recorded a brace when Spring Promise (15-8) made all under Jamie Spencer in the seven-furlong talkSPORT Powered By Fans Fillies’ Novice Stakes.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Lope De Vega three-year-old was not winning out of turn, having finished a narrow runner-up on both her first two starts this term.

The winning rider said: “She put her experience to good use. The sharp seven furlongs around here was probably a little too sharp for her.

“She wasn’t able to stamp her authority in the race that she probably would have done on a more galloping track.

“The fitting of cheekpieces helped her concentrate a bit better. When she had company in the last furlong, she wasn’t going to be passed.”

Sayifyouwill (8-1) has shown plenty of verve on the all-weather and notched a sixth success on a artificial surface in the Spreadex Sports Best Premier League Odds Handicap.

Sayifyouwill gained a sixth all-weather success under Sean Levey
Sayifyouwill gained a sixth all-weather success under Sean Levey (John Walton/PA)

The Amanda Perrett-trained daughter of Sayif, dropped to a mark of 78, equalled a career-best, coming wide in the seven-furlong contest and staying on strongly under Sean Levey to defy Jilly Cooper by a short head.

Sassy Redhead (2-1 favourite) made the most of the 7lb pull with Miss Moonshine, turning the tables on her following defeat at Kempton last time in the six-furlong It’s Time To Turn To talkSPORT Handicap.

The William Stone-trained Harry Angel filly was given a fine ride by Collen Storey to score by three-quarters of a length.

Plenty of encouragement to take from Ga Law run despite late exit

/in /by

Jamie Snowden has plenty of positives to take from Ga Law’s Sky Bet Chase run after a late fall denied him success at Doncaster on Saturday.

The seven-year-old went into the race as the 3-1 joint-favourite, a status owed in no small part to his victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.

That win saw him carry top-weight of 12st on Town Moor for his first attempt over three miles, with Jonathan Burke in the saddle as he was at Cheltenham.

Ga Law was handling both the burden and the extended trip with aplomb when approaching the final fence level with eventual winner Cooper’s Cross, but a slightly low jump saw him brush through the fence and fall.

Both horse and rider got to their feet and as Ga Law picked up a few nicks his trainer will take stock before planning his next outing.

Ga Law winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase
Ga Law winning the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase (David Davies/PA)

“He’s OK, he was coming to either win his race or finish a very good second, which would have been a great run off that kind of welter burden for his first time over three miles,” said Snowden.

“He definitely stayed. It’s always a shame to come down at the last and nobody knows what would have happened, but he certainly would have been either first or second. It’s a great shame but it was a hell of a run under that kind of weight, we’re pleased with how he ran but of course disappointed with the result.

“He stayed well and was running a big race, we’ll just get him right and see where we are from there.

“He sustained a couple of small cuts so we will get those sorted out, get him back schooling and see where we want to go.

“We had a few plans up our sleeve had he won, but I think for now we’ll get him right, he’ll tell us how he is and we can go forward from there.”

Sky Bet win with Cooper’s Cross is one to cherish for Coltherd family

/in /by

Cooper’s Cross provided the father and son combination of Stuart and Sam Coltherd with the biggest wins of their career in the £100,000 Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.

The eight-year-old was only rerouted to Town Moor after Haydock’s Peter Marsh Chase last week was lost to frost and the Coltherds were left thanking the weather gods for once.

Based at Selkirk on the Scottish Borders, it completed a good day for northern jumping with the first two home in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, Ahoy Senor and Sounds Russian, as well as Tommy’s Oscar and Maximilian at Doncaster all being trained in the either in the north of England or Scotland.

Cooper’s Cross has been progressing steadily of late, but needed to prove his stamina over three miles.

Sam Coltherd’s biggest problem was not getting to the front too soon, so well was he travelling.

When Tea For Free fell two out when still in there pitching, and Ga Law crashed out at the last, Cooper’s Cross (16-1) needed to be driven out to beat Cap Du Nord, placed in the race for a third time, by a length.

Stuart Coltherd said: “The top weight (Dusart) came out at final declarations otherwise Sam wouldn’t have been able to ride. It meant he crept in off bottom weight.

Stuart Coltherd welcomes back his son on the winner
Stuart Coltherd welcomes back his son on the winner (Richard Sellers/PA)

“He’s always shown us the pace to travel at home but we’ve hoped the step up in trip would do the job, we always thought there was a big one in him.

“Knowing the horse and knowing Sam, I could see he was taking him back and it was whether he stayed three miles.

“He was meant to be in the Peter Marsh at Haydock last week so it’s a good job that was off!

“We had Captain Redbeard two or three years ago who was a good horse, we’ve got about 30 in training, you can only go with what you’ve got.”

He went on: “He’s come back with a cut but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, it’s just a wee nick.

“I don’t know what next, he’d struggle to get in the National. There’ll be something at Ayr for him.

“This is our biggest win by a long way. I’ve been raining 20-odd years but since Sam turned professional we’ve tried to have a few more for him and got our heads down.

“For Sam to ride him as well, it means everything.”

Regarding fallen horses and jockeys, clerk of the course Paul Barker said: “Tea For Three was taken back in the horse ambulance but is fine.

“Lilly Pinchin has been taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for further examination on a suspected broken left clavicle (collar bone).

“The other jockeys are OK but stood themselves down.”

Maximilian promises plenty in the long term with Doncaster triumph

/in /by

Graded winners are a little rarer these days for Donald McCain since the glory years of Peddlers Cross and Overturn, so he was cherishing the success of Maximilian in the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster.

Having lost his unbeaten record at Sandown last time out, McCain gave the seven-year-old a wind operation but openly admitted he thought it was going to be a big ask for his charge a long way from home on Town Moor.

Champion jockey Brian Hughes is that for a reason, though, and nursed the 13-2 chance into contention approaching the second-last in the Grade Two affair.

Hurricane Bay and Stay Away Fay were tough competition, but Maximilian stuck gamely to his task and prevailed by a length.

He was roared back into the paddock by scores of members of his Owners Group syndicate, a group who have supported McCain well.

McCain is not struck on a Cheltenham bid, however, and Aintree seems more likely.

“I nearly walked away with a circuit to run. He’s got that in him, he can switch off,” said McCain.

“He’s one of those staying hurdlers who races off the bridle and saves plenty for himself.

“If he’d gone clear he’d have probably pulled up, like those good staying hurdlers when he hits the front he thinks he’s done enough.”

Maximilian and jockey Brian Hughes with winning owners
Maximilian and jockey Brian Hughes with winning owners (Ricard Sellers/PA)

He went on: “He hated the ground at Sandown, he wasn’t right afterwards but he was still third in a Grade Two, we’ve always had a lot of faith in him but he’ll never be flash.

“We’ll go for a big novice, but I’m not a massive Cheltenham fan. He’s a long-term horse and I’ve not got hundreds of these. Aintree would be first choice, I think.

“He jumps like he’ll jump a fence, but I just wonder if he’s one of those real staying hurdlers.

“The Owners Group are great, I’m lucky to have a few for them. It’s the same wherever they run. It just works.”

Tommy’s Oscar with Ann and Ian Hamilton
Tommy’s Oscar with Ann and Ian Hamilton (Ricard Sellers/PA)

Tommy’s Oscar stamped his class on the MND Association Race For Research Lightning Novices’ Chase with a smooth performance.

A Grade Two winner over hurdles, he was just below the very best last season but promised to take high rank over fences.

A win at Carlisle and a second in a hot event at Cheltenham to Banbridge offered plenty of encouragement on that front, but reverting to hurdles for the Fighting Fifth did not quite work out.

Due to a lack of opportunities he was in a limited handicap at Newcastle most recently, conceding lumps of weight to Since Day One, who took him on at levels on this occasion and the tables were well and truly turned.

Tommy’s Oscar strides away from the last
Tommy’s Oscar strides away from the last (Ricard Sellers/PA)

Harry Fry’s favourite Boothill loomed to the front early in the straight but Danny McMenamin was full on confidence on Tommy’s Oscar (7-4) and came between horses pulling double.

Two good leaps at the last two fences sealed the deal by five and a half lengths for Ann and Ian Hamilton’s star.

“He wants better ground and a flat track. He wasn’t giving away loads of weight today, either,” said Ian Hamilton.

“He tends to jump right, but didn’t do that until the last today when he was in the clear.

“I don’t know what we do now, we may have to wait until Aintree. He’s not a Cheltenham horse. There’s nothing I can see that we can run him in, it’s been the case all season which was why he ran at Newcastle giving all that weight.

“Ann and I are getting on, we don’t want to be travelling with him to the other end of the country.

“We haven’t had a great season, our horses are badly handicapped, but this lad is good.”

Epatante in cruise control for confidence-boosting triumph at Doncaster

/in /by

Nicky Henderson’s 2020 champion hurdler Epatante had no trouble in getting back to winning ways dropped in class for the Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle.

A multiple Grade One winner against the boys, she has found life tough this season – taking on her esteemed stablemate Constitution Hill in both the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdles.

With races at Cheltenham and Haydock called off in recent weeks due to the adverse weather she was back in against her sex at Doncaster and the red-hot 2-9 favourite to oblige.

Nico de Boinville – on board for the first time since winning the 2021 Christmas Hurdle on her – never had a moment of worry and let her off the leash approaching the last on the way to a six-and a-half-length win from Salsada.

“She felt great today, jumped really well and travelled away great, it’s nice for her to pick one up like this,” said De Boinville.

“It gives you an idea how good Constitution Hill is, but the team at home had her in really good shape for this today.

“Aidan (Coleman) said she felt fantastic at Kempton and she did today, it will be interesting to she where they decide to go at Cheltenham.”

Nico de Boinville and Rachel McMahon with Epatante
Nico de Boinville and Rachel McMahon with Epatante (Richard Sellers/PA)

Rachel McMahon rides the mare every day, but is currently out of action, as she explained.

“A horse called Love Bite bit my finger and broke it,” she said.

“I’d normally ride her every day and we’d love a few more like her, she’s so tough and her main aim today was to get her confidence back.

“It could be worse, Constitution Hill could be in another yard. You’d think getting beaten out of sight by him would have sickened her off, but not a bit of it.

“I think she’s certainly as good as last year and without him she’d have won another two Grade Ones.”

Give Me A Cuddle (blue) forges to the front
Give Me A Cuddle (blue) forges to the front (Richard Sellers/PA)

De Bonville had already won on Give Me A Cuddle (15-2) in the first division of the Happy 60th Birthday Neil Young Handicap Hurdle.

It was a welcome winner for Neil King who had endured a very quiet start tot he season.

Good Bye was rewarded for a string of consistent efforts when streaking away with the first division.

The Sara Ender-trained winner was sent off 7-1 under Philip Armson.

Ender said: “He’s a star, he’s never been out of the first four since we got him but he usually doesn’t want to go past!

“We’ve just sweetened him up a bit and the past few weeks his confidence has grown and grown.

“The only time he’d won for us before today was because a loose horse helped him up the run-in! Today is the first time he’s wanted to go and do it on his own.”

Tommy’s Oscar delight for Ann and Ian Hamilton at Doncaster

/in /by

Tommy’s Oscar stamped his class on the MND Association Race For Research Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster with a smooth performance.

A Grade Two winner over hurdles, he was just below the very best last season but promised to take high rank over fences.

A win at Carlisle and a second in a hot event at Cheltenham to Banbridge offered plenty of encouragement on that front, but reverting to hurdles for the Fighting Fifth did not quite work out.

Due to a lack of opportunities he was in a limited handicap at Newcastle most recently, conceding lumps of weight to Since Day One, who took him on at levels on this occasion and the tables were well and truly turned.

Tommy’s Oscar strides away from the last
Tommy’s Oscar strides away from the last (Ricard Sellers/PA)

Harry Fry’s favourite Boothill loomed to the front early in the straight but Danny McMenamin was full on confidence on Tommy’s Oscar (7-4) and came between horses pulling double.

Two good leaps at the last two fences sealed the deal by five and a half lengths for Ann and Ian Hamilton’s star.

“He wants better ground and a flat track. He wasn’t giving away loads of weight today, either,” said Ian Hamilton.

“He tends to jump right, but didn’t do that until the last today when he was in the clear.

“I don’t know what we do now, we may have to wait until Aintree. He’s not a Cheltenham horse. There’s nothing I can see that we can run him in, it’s been the case all season which was why he ran at Newcastle giving all that weight.

“Ann and I are getting on, we don’t want to be travelling with him to the other end of the country.

“We haven’t had a great season, our horses are badly handicapped, but this lad is good.”

Greyval strikes Doncaster Listed gold

/in /by

Greyval executed a long-held plan when turning the tables on the favourite Arclight in the Sky Bet Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle at Doncaster.

Fergal O’Brien’s daughter of The Grey Gatsby, a €36,000 buy from France, had finished second behind Arclight on her debut over course and distance in December, leaving her with a length and three-quarters to find.

Since then the favourite had enjoyed a procession around Kempton while Greyval (11-4) had been fine-tuned at home, and it clearly paid off.

There was all to play for on the run to the second last when Paddy Brennan, in search of better ground, took an acute inside course before he swerved back on the track proper.

That caused a concertina effect, as Nico De Boinville brought Arclight to challenge from the other side of the track. Caught in the middle was Jessica Harrington’s Komedy Kicks, who ended up falling and bringing down Inspiratrice.

Thankfully all horses and jockeys walked away uninjured as Greyval ran out a two-length winner, but Brennan picked up a six-day ban (February 10-15 inclusive) for the manoeuvre.

“She came from France and I thought it was going to be a disaster as Nick (Brown, syndicate manager) kept talking her up!” said O’Brien.

Greyval had lots of owners on course to cheer her home
Greyval had lots of owners on course to cheer her home (Nick Robson/PA)

“She’s been lovely, was second the last day and Paddy gave her a great ride.

“She’s in the Triumph and it might be hard to talk them out of not going there, we’ll speak to everyone and see.”

Brown said: “We had the third in this race two years ago and when we got her, I knew this was the race I wanted to run her in.

“We put her in the Triumph because if she won and got a quote, we’d look silly not being in, but I don’t like social runners, so I doubt it. There is the mares’ option there (Cheltenham) though, and that might be better.”

Peter Niven has always thought the world of Malystic and the nine-year-old is now beginning to repay that faith.

Carrying top weight in the £50,000 Sky Bet-sponsored two-mile handicap chase, the Danny McMenamin-ridden 12-1 shot saw off the challenge of Before Midnight before the favourite Saint Segal lunged late, going down by half a length.

Home bred, his dam is a half-sister to Niven’s last top-class horse, Clever Cookie.

“He’s always been a proper horse but last year was a disaster, his first year out of novices, so he never got any experience,” said Niven.

“He didn’t even get to finish his hurdle year because of Covid, so he’s very inexperienced, he also picked up a nasty infection last season.

“He’ll be close to 150 (official rating) after that. The only conditions race for him coming up is the Game Spirit (Newbury, February 5), but that’s a bit soon. Maybe if some of those at Cheltenham tomorrow don’t go, we’ll have a look.”

Looking to the future, he added: “Other than that, there’s the Red Rum at Aintree. I’m not keen on Cheltenham because he didn’t like the razzmatazz when he last went, but then the Red Rum is National day. Maybe the Celebration Chase at Sandown, which might suit him.”

Parramount (1-2 favourite), a half-brother to Becher Chase winner Snow Leopardess, had little trouble in landing the odds in the Sky Bet UKs No.1 Betting App Novices’ Hurdle.

Charlie Longsdon’s seven-year-old was ridden to victory by 7lb conditional Bradley Roberts, who guided him to a 21-length success under a penalty.

Paramount and Bradley Roberts return
Paramount and Bradley Roberts return (Nick Robson/PA)

Longsdon said: “It’s nice after a freeze-up that they have come back in good form.

“Bradley rides all right, doesn’t he? He apologised for looking around so much, but it was a hard race to ride with one going off a hundred miles an hour, and then the others were 10 lengths behind ours, so he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“He’s EBF qualified, so the Final at Sandown will be his aim. I’ll run him in a handicap somewhere before then. He’s 115 now, so who knows what the handicapper will do?”

Lucy Wadham struck for the second time in two days as Will Sting (9-1) came home a clear-cut winner of the Betting Better With Sky Bet Novices’ Handicap Chase under Tom Cannon.

“It’s been a quiet couple of weeks for me, so it’s nice to get a winner before Edwardstone tomorrow,” said Cannon, who will partner Alan King’s Arkle winner in the feature race at Cheltenham, the Grade One Albert Bartlett Clarence House Chase.

Storminhome with winning connections
Storminhome with winning connections (Nick Robson/PA)

Ben Pauling continued his good recent form when Storminhome (11-8 favourite) opened his account at the third time of asking in the Sky Bet EBF “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle.

“He’s got some fancy entries (at Cheltenham), whether he takes them up I don’t know, but he’s a lovely horse for the future,” said Pauling.

De Boinville expecting Epantante to bloom in Yorkshire Rose

/in /by

Nico de Boinville is confident Epatante can make the most of what appears a gilt-edged opportunity in the Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster on Saturday.

Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey has actually only ridden the yard’s star mare once before – steering her to victory in the 2021 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Aidan Coleman has been ever present in the saddle since then, but as he is at Cheltenham to partner veteran stayer Paisley Park in the Cleeve Hurdle, De Boinville again gets the call on Town Moor.

Epatante has won six times at Grade One level in all, with two Christmas Hurdles, two Fighting Fifths, an Aintree Hurdle and a Champion Hurdle featuring on her CV.

The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old has proved no match for fellow Seven Barrows inmate Constitution Hill in either the Fighting Fifth or the Christmas Hurdle so far this season, but with her esteemed stable companion not in opposition this weekend, she should take all the beating.

“She doesn’t have a certain Constitution Hill to contend with here, so you have to be more than hopeful she can get back to winning ways,” De Boinville said in his Unibet blog.

“We all know her Grade One class and the scary thing is that she probably hasn’t been that far off her very best when chasing home her stablemate at Newcastle and Kempton this season.

“This is clearly a significant drop in grade for her, for all she carries a 6lb penalty.”

The biggest threat to Epatante appears to be Lucy Wadham’s admirable mare Martello Sky.

Martello Sky in action at Cheltenham
Martello Sky in action at Cheltenham (David Davies/PA)

The grey has found one too good in each of her three previous outings this season, most recently chasing home Love Envoi at Sandown, and is fitted with cheek pieces for the first time on Saturday.

Wadham said: “Epatante has won six Grade Ones and is only giving us 2lb, so obviously it’s going to be to be pretty tough and we’re probably playing for second place.

“As always she’ll be doing her best, she’s ready to run and we’ll give it a go, but we’re not expecting to beat the favourite that’s for sure.

“She’s coming back to two miles and, funnily enough, all her sisters wore some sort of headgear. She’s certainly not ungenuine, but I think she will need to be sharper on Saturday, so hopefully the cheek pieces will help.”

The first of three Grade Twos on the card is the MND Association Race For Research Lightning Novices’ Chase, in which Harry Fry’s Boothill bids to follow up victory in the Wayward Lad at Kempton.

The highest-rated horse in the field, though, is Ann Hamilton’s stable star Tommy’s Oscar, who won on his chasing debut at Carlisle in the autumn and has since finished second twice over fences.

The eight-year-old is significantly better off at the weights with Donald McCain’s Since Day One, who is again in opposition having beaten him in a novice handicap at Newcastle last month, but connections are more hopeful than confident about his chances this weekend.

“At the weights you’d say he’s got to win it, but I don’t know,” said owner Ian Hamilton.

“He was obviously well beaten in the Fighting Fifth and then he was giving a stone and a half to Donald’s horse last time,” said owner Ian Hamilton..

“Our horses aren’t quite firing, so I wouldn’t have £1,000 on him anyway. But it will be better ground at Doncaster which will help. Hopefully he can do it.”

Stay Away Fay is the likely favourite for the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle.

A £305,000 purchase after winning a point-to-point, the Shantou gelding made a successful debut for Paul Nicholls in a two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle at Newbury in November and is immediately stepped up to three miles.

Nicholls told Betfair: “He’s an interesting prospect who did well over the summer before winning in pleasing fashion at Newbury on his debut for us over hurdles two months ago.

“He is a lot sharper now, stays well, wants good ground and I’ve had this race in mind for him since Newbury.”

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies saddles Idalko Bihoue at Doncaster
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies saddles Idalko Bihoue at Doncaster (David Davies/PA)

McCain’s Maximilian steps back up in distance after suffering his first defeat in five starts in the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown last month, while Grand Soir has won his last three races for Irish trainer John McConnell.

Idalko Bihoue, another expensive purchase from the Irish point field, is also worthy of consideration after finishing a creditable third in the Grade One Challow Hurdle at Newbury on New Year’s Eve.

“It was a very good run in the Challow. He’s going up in distance a little bit and I’d hope he’ll run really well,” trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies told Sky Sports Racing.

“We were looking for three miles, there are very few three-mile races around and it’s good prize-money.

“He’s definitely a stayer.”

Beep Beep Burrow primed for Doncaster debut

/in /by

Beep Beep Burrow will make his debut in front of his namesake Rob Burrow at Doncaster on Saturday.

The six-year-old, who is trained by Jedd O’Keeffe, was due to run for the first time at Doncaster on January 10 but was ruled out by a minor injury.

His first racecourse appearance will now come at the same track as he contests the Good Luck Beep Beep Burrow Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Beep Beep Burrow
Beep Beep Burrow (The Good Racing Co)

The Malinas gelding will be cheered on by Burrow and his family, who will also benefit partly from funds raised by the horse via the Rob Burrow 7 Discretionary Trust, which helps the family meet the costs of living with Motor Neurone Disease.

The remaining funds raised by the partnership who own the horse, The Good Racing Company, will go to the MND Association.

Lindsey Burrow, wife of Rob, said: “Rob and I are really grateful that The Good Racing Company will be donating to Rob’s Trust alongside the MND Association. It will make a real difference to the daily life of our family.

“Rob’s passion for racing grows daily. He’s converted the entire family now and we all enjoy a day out at the races. We are all behind Beep Beep Burrow and can’t wait to watch him race.”