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The 2023 turf flat season kicks off at Doncaster with the ground very much on the slow side with official conditions riding soft (heavy in places). Our friends at ITV are showing four races from the Yorkshire track plus an additional three from Kempton on the all weather. Here’s my top horse racing racing tips on all seven ITV races:
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13:50 @ Doncaster
The 2023 turf flat season begins with its usual race the Brocklesbury Stakes, a two year old race run over 5F with 18 newcomers spread across the straight track of Town Moor. The early betting exchanges are always very interesting for this race and it appears that the Amo Racing owned Valadero is the one they all want to be with. Trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis he cost 250,000 euros as a yearling which rose from the 80,000 euros which was paid for him as a foal. He’s been backed from 4/1 into 6/4 and can obviously go a bit.
Andrew Balding is a trainer who can have his two year old string ready early and saddles Loaded Gun who cost 75,000 euros as a yearling. Karl Burke’s Indication Call is another to mention as he cost 42,000 guineas as a yearling and his trainer normally has them ready to roll early. Equiart is another for early money been backed from an early 20/1 into halve those odds so Darryll Holland’s cheap yearling is interesting. Not a race to get too involved with especially with the ground so testing.
14:05 @ Kempton
Seven go to post for this 1m 2F listed Magnolia Stakes. Charlie Appleby sends to two to Kempton Park today with the first being his Secret State who was a smart sort as a three year old last season winning three times including two valuable handicaps at Royal Ascot and Goodwood over 12F. Last seen over 14F he’s been gelded since and could easily win this but I’m a bit worried today’s trip may be on the short side and at the prices I’ll be looking elsewhere for a bet. Belloccio is three from three at the track although is another whom dropping in trip may not be ideal.
There was little between Tyrrhenian Sea and Foxes Tales in the Winter Derby at Lingfield last time finishing 2nd and 3rd behind the subsequent Dubai Turf winner Lord North with slight preference for Roger Varian’s Tyrrhenian Sea and he’s the pick here to small stakes especially with the Varian team in excellent form winning with 2 of his last 3 runners.
TYRRHENIAN SEA 1 point win @ 11/2 BetVictor
14:25 @ Doncaster
The Pertemps Network Spring Mile Handicap is for those that didn’t make the cut for the Lincoln later on on the card and is run over the straight mile having attracted a full field of twenty two this year (last year’s field only made seven!). There’s many here that have no soft ground form but a couple that do and can go well are Grant Tuer’s Dirtyoldtown who’s wearing blinkers for the first time here under Sam James and the Roger Fell trained Harswell Duke who loves very soft ground having won three times on it in his career.
He won a brace of handicaps on very soft ground in the Midlands last October. Part of his owners, the Harswell Thoroughbred Racing, mooted after his last win last October that this was the plan and with the ground coming right for him and an interesting jockey booking in 5lb apprentice Jonny Peate taking his mark down to below his latest winning mark looks worth having a go at each way with additional places.
HARSWELL DUKE 1 point each way @ 14/1 Coral 1/5 12345
DIRTYOLDTOWN 1/2 point each way @ 12/1 bet365 1/5 123456
14:40 @ Kempton
A dozen handicappers assemble for this one mile class 3 handicap. It has a very open look about it with several pushing for favouritism. My fancy is the John Butler trained Brains who has booked William Buick for the ride which is hardly a negative. The seven year old gelding runs better here than anywhere having winning 4 of his 8 starts at the Sunbury-On-Thames track, with his latest victory coming in December by 4L off of 71. He’s 12lb higher here but actually has raced off of higher marks in his career. Andrew Balding has booked Oisin Murphy for Al Marmar and in first time cheek pieces is also a possible along with the likes of Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Million Thanks and top weight Naval Commander trained by Robyn Brisland. A wide open handicap where stakes should be kept small with Brains the each way pick.
BRAINS 1 point each way @ 6/1 BetVictor 1/5th 1234
15:00 @ Doncaster
The listed Cammidge Trophy is run over 6F of the sodden turf here at Town Moor and has attracted a dozen sprinters. The best in at today’s weights are Michael Dodds’ Comanche Falls, last year’s Stewards Cup winner who acts on any ground and goes well fresh with his form figures after a fair sized break reading 112. He’s a player here for sure.
Also rated jointly the same is Karl Burke’s El Caballo who won six on the bounce prior to flopping in last year’s Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and having not been seen since one has to worry if he’ll be ready on ground as bad as todays.
King’s Lynn, trained by Andrew Balding for The King, has good track form reading 1221 and soft ground shouldn’t be a problem. He should be thereabouts along with James Horton’s Asjad who’s stepping out of handicaps today but only has officially 5lb to find with the top rated duo.
I’ld be worried about the ground for Richard Hannon’s Ehraz and the one I’m interested in here is Karl Burke’s Fast Response who, although having 9lb to find to match the front pair, adores soft ground and is unbeaten in two starts on the straight course here at Doncaster. His form figures on soft or heavy read 71111 and it can’t be soft enough for this son Fast Company. Sam James takes the ride and I’ll play this mudlark each way.
FAST RESPONSE 1 point each way @ 10/1 bet365 1/5th 1234
15:15 @ Kempton
Only six go to post for this valuable class 2 2M Queens Prize Handicap which features the last two year’s winners in Sleeping Lion and Bandinelli. The latter is the second runner on the card from the Charlie Appleby stable and with William Buick on board has to be respected although he’s now 2lb higher than when winning this last year and lost his form after that good effort.
The favourite here is the Andrew Balding trained Aztec Empire who took his tally to two from two here when winning here last time out in February with Aced It back in third beaten 3L and now 6lb better off. This will only be Balding’s four year old’s sixth start and may well have more improvement to come especially at this trip.
He’s the selection here although I do fear the Jamie Osborne trained Duty Of Care who is a half brother to the very smart Expert Eye. He’s taken his form to another level since stepping up to two miles winning twice over course and distance rising some 9lb.
AZTEC EMPIRE 2 points win @ 15/8 William Hill
15:35 @ Doncaster
The feature race of the day is the Pertemps Network Lincoln Handicap with a maximum field of 22 going to post for the one mile handicap. Newmarket handler William Haggas has won the race four times before and saddles a brace of runners here in Montassib and the current favourite Al Mubhir. Preference has to be for the latter who has had his wind done since we last saw him run out a comfortable winner on heavy ground at Haydock last October. He looks sure to be thereabouts although he’s plenty short enough now.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Awaal looked good in the mud when bolting up in his first handicap at Redcar last October and a gelding operation since puts him in here with a big chance.
As one would expect there’s many others with soft ground form that come into it here with Charlie Fellowe’s Atrium and Charlie Hill’s Wanees top of that list. George Boughey saddles Baradar who won in heavy ground here over 7F last November and should appreciate the step up to a mile (he was 3rd in the Group 1 1m Futurity as a two year old). Kevin Stott rides for owners Amo Racing and I’ll dutch him up with the Crisford’s Awaal.
AWAAL 1 point each way @ 5/1 William Hill 1/5th 123456
BARADAR 1/2 point each way @ 9/1 bet365 1/5th 123456
All odds are accurate at time of writing.
