Selections for the Nine Races from Doncaster, Kelso and Kempton
The flat turf season returns this weekend with Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting taking centre stage. There are nine live races to look forward to on ITV this Saturday with action also coming from Kelso and Kempton. Racing Tips have provided insight into all nine scheduled races, with a selection in each.
Persian Force – 1:15 Doncaster (SBK Brocklesby Conditions Stakes)
The Brocklesby is always a difficult puzzle to solve with a host of newcomers looking to make the ideal start to life on course. The betting is often a strong indicator in this particular contest but on breeding alone, PERSIAN FORCE could be the one to side with for trainer Richard Hannon.
A son of Mehmas, the two-year-old is bred to be fairly useful and is closely related to the yard’s talented performer Gubbass, who won over the minimum trip on debut at Leicester last season before following up on his second racecourse outing in Newbury’s valuable Super Sprint.
Richard Hannon’s two-year-old chestnut colt has plenty of speed influences in his pedigree and gets the verdict to come out on top in a tricky affair.
Richard Hannon unleashes a potentially smart two-year-old in Doncaster’s Brocklesby Stakes.
Son Of The Somme – 1:35 Kelso (Schloss Roxburghe Go North Cab On Target Handicap Hurdle)
A winner on penultimate start at Wetherby, SON OF THE SOMME has been unlucky not to add to that tally in three other hurdle outings, finishing runner-up by a neck in a trio of handicap contests.
Those efforts in defeat have been perfectly respectable including when encountering heavy ground for the first time at Doncaster last time out, and although the heavy surface underfoot was far from suitable for Brian Ellison’s charge, the seven-year-old stayed on resolutely under Brian Hughes but just failed to overhaul the eventual winner.
A dry forecast should ensure that Son Of The Somme returns this weekend on a preferred quicker surface and up just 3lb for that narrow Doncaster defeat, Brian Ellison’s consistent performer can register a second career success and provide champion elect Brian Hughes with yet another winner this campaign.
Son Of The Somme will look to return to winning ways this weekend at Kelso.
Garrus – 1:50 Doncaster (SBK Cammidge Trophy Stakes)
A few of these hold claims in some shape or form but it’s hard to ignore the claims of GARRUS for trainer Charlie Hills.
The six-year-old returned last season from a mammoth absence after missing the entirety of the 2020 campaign but despite facing issues whilst on the sidelines, Garrus returned with two victories, which included an impressive success in Group 3 company at Deauville.
Respectable efforts at the top level last season also included a promising fifth in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and if ready to roll on seasonal return on Saturday, Charlie Hills’ six-year-old should take plenty of beating back against Listed opposition and rates a solid favourite for the Newmarket handler.
Fancy Man – 2:05 Kempton (Racing TV Magnolia Stakes)
FANCY MAN accounted for King Of The South, Living Legend and Al Zaraqaan when the quartet clashed in the Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield back in February and Richard Hannon’s reliable four-year-old is taken to confirm that form once again.
After that comfortable victory on penultimate start, Fancy Man was pitched back into Group 3 company when attempting to follow up in the Winter Derby Stakes and despite finishing third, Richard Hannon’s charge still ran respectably when finishing in behind established Group performer’s Lord North and Alenquer.
The four-year-old returns back to Listed company this weekend and is a confident selection to return to winning ways.
Empirestateofmind – 2:25 Doncaster (SBK Spring Mile Handicap)
General Lee commands respect having won two of his last three starts, the latest of those victories came at Goodwood where the colt ran out a ready winner. There should be improvement to come this term but the same can be said for EMPIRESTATEOFMIND, who took a while to find his stride last season for John Quinn but rounded off the campaign with some notably smart performances.
Off the mark at the eighth attempt at Musselburgh last August, John Quinn’s charge followed up in impressive fashion at Thirsk before finishing a head second to Ventura Rascal at Ayr in September.
However, the four-year-old was quick to regain the winning thread at Pontefract the following month and although comfortably held at Redcar on final start, Empirestateofmind bumped into William Haggas’ unbeaten star Mujtaba, who appears to be a group performer in the making and currently heads the betting for the Lincoln later on the card.
Empirestateofmind should continue to improve this season and there is a feeling that a mark of 83 still underestimates his true ability.
Moliwood – 2:40 Kempton (Racing TV Queen’s Prize Handicap)
Bandinelli will be expected to go in once again after landing a third win in his last four starts. Charlie Appleby’s runner was having just his first start at 2miles when winning over course and distance back in November and is clearly a horse who is going the right way.
Similar comments also apply to Marco Botti’s MOLIWOOD, who remains unexposed over the trip after getting up late in the day to beat Oceanline over course and distance.
Recording a second win from the last three starts on that occasion, Moliwood was forced to switch towards the outside of the field in the closing stages and whilst he only prevailed by a head at the line, the four-year-old was certainly value for more than the narrow winning margin.
Marco Botti’s charge now finds himself just 2lb higher for that latest victory and certainly has the ability to win a few more staying contests given his unexposed profile.
Chindit – 3:00 Doncaster (SBK Doncaster Mile Stakes)
It could turn out to be a very good weekend for trainer Richard Hannon, with a strong team assembled up and down the country this weekend. The most obvious claims this Saturday lie with CHINDIT who will be expected to improve this season as a four-year-old and make his mark in the top one mile contests this year.
Winner of the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on reappearance last season at Newbury, Richard Hannon’s talented performer went on to run respectably in Group 1 company, including when finishing fifth in the 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Unbeaten in two starts at Doncaster as a juvenile, Chindit returns to Town Moor on Saturday clear on official figures back in Listed company, and connections look to have found a golden opportunity for him to return to winning ways.
Theatre Glory – 3:15 Kelso (Herring Queen Series Final Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle)
Nicky Henderson’s handicappers ran with plenty of credit at the Cheltenham Festival recently and despite shouldering top weight under a penalty, THEATRE GLORY gets the vote to come out on top and give the master of Seven Barrows another recent winner.
The five-year-old mare was a taking winner of a Worcester bumper last season and returned this season with a taking display on hurdling debut at Huntingdon in novice company, quickening right away from six rivals to run out an impressive winner by just over four lengths.
The improving mare was far from disgraced when contesting Listed company at Newbury soon after when finishing behind the likes of stablemate Ahoreswithnoname and Dan Skelton’s talented Elle Est Belle.
Sights were lowered on her most recent outing at Warwick as the mare was quick to return to winning ways, thumping her six rivals from a mark of 118 under jockey James Bowen.
Nathan Brennan claims a handy 7lb off the mares back on Saturday afternoon and Nicky Henderson’s charge remains one to keep firmly on side with improvement forthcoming on just her fourth hurdle outing.
Mujtaba – 3:35 Doncaster (SBK Lincoln)
The obvious choice for many, but it’s difficult to bet against MUJTABA in the weekend’s feature contest. William Haggas’ four-year-old is yet to taste defeat in three starts for connections and was last seen blowing apart an opening mark of 90 on handicap debut at Redcar last October.
The son of Dubawi has always been held in the highest regard by connections and has been compared in his work to the yard’s 2018 Lincoln winner and subsequent Group 1 performer Addeybb.
A mark of 98 is unlikely to be the ceiling of his true ability and with many indications pointing him out to be a future Group performer in the making, the four-year-old could be in a different league to his rivals at the weekend and is fancied to provide trainer William Haggas with a record-breaking fifth win in Doncaster’s 1mile handicap event.
William Haggas has a tremendous record in the Lincoln and can strike in Doncaster’s feature with Mujtaba.