Hi all,
It’s a very busy today. We have Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase at Wincanton and it’s the final day of the flat season with the November Handicap at Doncaster. There’s also the Irish version at Naas on the final day of the Irish turf season. Over the Atlantic the Breeders Cup continues at Keeneland.
The big race action switches across the Irish Sea on Sunday with Navan hosting the historic Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase an there’s also a decent card at Sandown.
Doncaster
12:55 – Kynren’s career best effort came when winning a 7f Heritage Handicap at Ascot (soft) last October, off 1lb lower. More miss than hit this season but wasn’t disgraced when 5th of 24 in the Ayr Gold Cup three starts back. Two lesser efforts since but can go close on a going day.
Tomfre bids for the hat trick after wins at Leicester andwon with more in hand than the final margin of victory suggests when beating 14 rivals over C&D 14-days ago. A 4lb rise in the weight’s isn’t excessive and both wins have come on heavy.
Molls Memory is another well suited to the mud. She comes into the race fresher than most having just had three starts this season and last time out showed a good attitude to win at Newbury. Just 3lb higher and is a big player.
2:05 – Anna Nerium & Trefoil were second and fourth in a Group 3 at Newmarket last month. The latter was having her first start for 87-days and is entitled to have improved for the run. Won on soft as 2-year-old and her trainer Ralph Beckett saddled the winner of this in 2010 & 2012.
1pt win – Trefoil – 7/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
3:15 – Betfair November Handicap (Class 2) – 1m 4f
Euchen Glen has been in tremendous form of late and comes into the race having won two small field Group 3’s in the mud at York & Newbury. The top-weight will be vulnerable to any better handicapped horses in the field but should give his running if in the same form as last time.
Sam Cooke could be one such well handicapped horse. The Ralph Beckett trained 4-year-old has only had six career starts and is open to more progress over 1m 4f. He’s ground versatile won on soft and good going. First run since finishing 2nd of 9 at Ascot 104-days ago, beaten just a nose by Jeremiah and is just 3lb higher here. Absence isn’t a negative as he’s won off an even longer layoff.
David O’Meara saddled Open Eagle to win the race in 2014. He saddles Eagle Court who’s improved for the step up to 1m 2f and soft ground winning his last two starts at Redcar and Nottingham. Up 5lb but the 3-year-old is going the right way and a mark of 90 looks workable.
Kingbrook won the Old Rowley Cup on his last start. Up 6lb for that success but he’s another improving 3-year-old who could rate higher and goes well on soft ground.
Tulip Fields showed she was effective on soft ground when a C&D handicap two starts back. Ran well to finish 5th in a Listed race at Lingfield just 5-days later. Interesting that Harry Bentley who has ridden Sam Cooke on his last three starts opts for the filly here.
Verdict: I have fancied Sam Cooke for this all week so I can desert him now. Eagle Court an improving 3-year-old who like soft ground and could get the race run to suit. Tulip Fields is another progressive 3-year-old who races off a nice weight and can go well.
1pt win – Sam Cooke – 6/1 @ Bet365
1pt each way – Tulip Fields – 16/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes (both paying 5 places 1/5 odds) – 14/1 @ Sky Bet paying 7 places.
Wincanton
1:50 – The forecast good ground means that Sunrise Ruby looks the right favourite. The Nicky Henderson trained mare bids for the hat trick after wins at Newton Abbot and Kempton.
Trainer Paul Nicholls has saddled the winner of this twice since 2011. He has two entered up. The one that I like is top-weight Eglantine Du Seuil. The 6-year-old is having her first start since switching from Willie Mullins. Winner of the Mares Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019, which she won after 180-day layoff. She goes well fresh so a 241-day absence shouldn’t be too much of an issue. And Bryan Carver takes off a handy 5lb off the 6-year-old’s back.
1pt win – Eglantine Du Seuil – 6/1 @ Bet365
3:25 – Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase (Listed Race) – 3m 1f
Paul Nicholls has won five of the last ten renewals of the race, including the last three. He has three entered at the five-day stage: Danny Whizzbang, Present Man & My Way.
Danny Whizzbang has just had the three starts and won first time up last season. The 7-year-old looks progressive and the type his trainer would target at the race. Handicap debut and a mark of 145 could well underestimate him.
Present Man won this in 2017 & 2018 but disappointed in the race 12 months ago, although given that was his only start last season, something was probably amiss which explains his poor run. Now a 10-year-old he showed his well being when winning a veteran’s chase at Chepstow last month. He’s been nudged up 2lb for that success but if Bryony Frost can get him into a good jumping rhythm. You couldn’t rule out a third win in the race.
Just A Sting, trained by Harry Fry, was 4th in the race 12 months ago. He was very much in contention coming to three out but he was awkward at that fence and would probably have finished closer but for that error. It seems you need to catch him either first or second time out. As he’s 5-8 +17 6 places compared with 0-7 on his 3+ start of the season. Has won on good but his chance would be enhanced on good to soft.
Cobra De Mai is nicely handicapped on the best of his form and gets the first-time blinkers after a disappointing effort at Cheltenham two weeks ago. Goes very well on a sound surface and if the headgear has the desired effect won’t be far away.
Verdict: Danny Whizzbang could be well ahead of his mark but I’m going with Present Man and Just A Sting.
1pt win – Present Man – 7/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
1pt win – Just A Sting – 9/1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
Aintree
1:35 – Golan Fortune ticks the boxes marked going and distance and is just 2lb above last season’s winning mark. Not disgraced when 9th of 19 at Cheltenham on his seasonal return 15-days ago. The cheekpieces left off last time return today and he’s 4-5 in November/December.
Unowhatimeanharry is a 12-year-old and probably isn’t the Grade 1 winning hurdler that he used to be. That said, he’s got a great record on his seasonal reappearance with form figures 1331113. Kevin Brogan takes off a handy 7lb off the top weights back and gives the veteran place claims.
1pt win – Golan Fortune – 15/2 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
1pt each way – Unowhatimeanharry – 16/1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook (both paying 4 places 1/5 odds)
2:10 – Modus has been off for 465 days but he’s gone well fresh in the past with form figures 123116 when returning from a 121+day absence. No issues with the going and distance for the 10-year-old. Jumping has let him down in the past at crucial stages of a race but if he can cut out a race ending errors, he can go close 5lb below his last winning mark.
1pt win – Modus – 7/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Naas
2:00 – Naas November Handicap (Premier Handicap) – 1m 6f
Takarengo last win came at Leopardstown back in 2019, off 9lb lower and showed stamina was the name of the game when 3rd of 34 in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last time. Drops back in trip today but a bold bid expected.
Jukebox Jive won this race 12 months ago, off 7lb lower. Just the one start this season when in midfield in the Irish Cesarewitch last month. Needs the first cheekpieces to eke out a bit more improvement off this sort of mark but Gavin Ryan takes off a handy 3lb
Haparanda has really improved for the step up to 1m 3f/1m 4f. There was plenty to like about her win at Leopardstown three weeks ago. Up 10lb higher, open to more improvement for the step up to 1m 6f and Dylan Browne McMonagle takes off 5lb.
1pt win – Takarengo – 17/2 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
Cheers
John