SATURDAY'S SELECTIONS
DONCASTER
2-40 WILLIAM HILL BET ON THE MOVE CAMMIDGE TROPHY (LISTED) – 6 FURLONGS
Jack Dexter looks set to have his favoured soft ground on his seasonal debut. He won this race last season and improved with each run after that. He clearly goes well fresh and he can confirm the form with Captain Ramius who is another proven mudlark.
Graham Lee has partnered the five year old to six out of his eight career wins to date and it will be no surprise if they can add to that tally this afternoon.
Tropics went from strength to strength last season and won five races including a listed event and then a Group three at Ascot last October. He is clearly talented and Dean Ivory has booked Robert Winston to ride. He has partnered Tropics to win on two previous occasions but he did seem to need that first outing last season and this softish ground may not suit him ideally either.
Richard Fahey usually has his string well prepared for the new flat campaign so Heaven’s Gate may give Jack Dexter the most to think about. He finished runner up on his only other previous try over this course and distance and receives five pounds from the selection. Jack Dexter looks set to enjoy another profitable season and he can get started here.
KEMPTON
2-55 BETVICTOR 6 PLACES GRAND NATIONAL ROSEBERRY HANDICAP – 1 M 3 F
Rebellious Guest found the company a little too hot to handle at Lingfield last week in the Winter Derby. He will appreciate this slight ease in grade and a return to a track where he bids to maintain his perfect strike rate.
George Baker replaces Tom Queally this afternoon and on this circuit there could be no better deputy. He has already beaten the likes of Shavansky and Uramazin and with youth on his side he can confirm that form.
Vital Evidence won at the first time of asking last season and the Sir Michael Stoute trained gelding will prove popular with punters. He has previously run over this course and distance but finished a disappointing fourth. It is interesting that he has been kept in training as a four year old and is bound to have improved throughout the winter. He looks the most obvious danger.
Shavansky is a previous course and distance winner who bounced back to form at Lingfield last time. Shelley Birkett gets on well with the veteran and her five pound claim could prove essential in a race of this nature. Rebellious Guest has a touch of class about him and George Margarson reports the five year old to be thriving. He can defy joint top weight and go very close.
3-30 GRAND NATIONAL 6 PLACES AT BETVICTOR.COM HANDICAP – 6 FURLONGS
Forest Edge has returned to a favourable looking mark and returns to a track where he has secured two wins from as many starts. Despite finishing down the field at Lingfield last time, that was at a far higher level and he is readily forgiven for that effort. David Evans calls upon the useful DJ Bates to offset a further three pounds and the combination look likely to go well.
Lancelot Du Lac has shown that he can go well fresh. The three month break is not likely to incovenience him and he is open to any amount of improvement. He mananged to win four handicaps last season and looks the biggest threat with George Baker on board. Trinityelitedotcom has not finished outside of the first two placings in his last six outings for Tom Dascombe.
Richard Kingscote knows him inside out and they have won at this level in the past. It is worth remembering that he is racing off a career high mark and he may just need this run.Hoof It has never shown winning form on a polytrack surface and is passed over for that reason. Forest Edge is at least proven in this grade and loves the track. He looks decent value to make the frame.
DONCASTER
3-50 WILLIAM HILL LINCOLN (HERITAGE HANDICAP) – 1 MILE
Unsinkable has recently joined the Jonjo O’Neill team and had a pipe opener for this when finishing well beaten at Lingfield on his seasonal reappearance. He was a talented juvenile when trained by Richard Fahey and he won on his only previous attempt at this track. He has just proved shy of listed class in the past so a move back into handicap company looks a shrewd move by the trainer. As a four year old he receives weight from the majority of his rivals and he has a hood on for the first time this afternoon.
Off Art looks a major threat in that he was unbeaten in three starts last year including at this track. He gets in off bottom weight here and represents a yard that certainly knows the time of day with their handicappers. Several of these runners locked horns in this race last season when Levitate managed to come out on top. However no horse has won back to back winnings of this race since Babur in 1957 and 1958 so he is overlooked despite the excellent record that John Quinn has in the race.
Jack’s Revenge was doing all of his best work in the closing stages last year but he is now racing off a career high mark and will do well to make the frame. Unsinkable will love any further rain as he is a son of Verglas. He looks overpriced at this stage and is very capable of making the frame.
[table]Course, Pick
Doncaster 2-20, Jack Dexter
Kempton 2-55, Rebellious Guest
Kempton 3-30, Forest Edge
Doncaster 3-50, Unsinkable (E/W)[/table]
