As the Flat season comes to a close for another season, Doncaster hosts their annual card which attracts plenty of horse racing fans. Betfred sponsor all of the 8 races, with the feature races being the 2.00 (4th race) and the 3.10 (6th race). The good to soft ground will be testing for most horses taking part, but Axiom, who races in the 2.00 race, will appreciate it, and with getting in off a handicap mark of 100, he looks sure to give a good account of himself at a decent price. He’s trained by little known Newmarket based trainer Ed Walker and ridden by apprentice Michael Murphy, who claims a valuable 7 pounds. The 3.10 race (November Handicap) will attract plenty of interest from punters, as it does every year, & with Pekan Star lining up after his gelding operation, it could see him improve and return to the form he showed a few runs back. Trainer Roger Varian is in good form, and with Andrea Atzeni being a more than capable pilot, Pekan Star could quite easily bounce back and hit the money.
As for the National Hunt meetings, it’s Sandown and Wincanton that aim to please on Saturday, with a 7 race card at each meeting. At Sandown, the 2.25 race would be of interest, as it sees Frankie Figg lining up under the champion jockey A P McCoy. The horse jumps very well and looks sure to set off in front and try to beat them all off one by one. He likes the trip and ground and should therefore run a very big race. Paul Nicholls trains, the champion trainer, and so we’re guaranteed to see the horse turn up being fit and ready to go. Paintball is an interesting runner in the 3.00 race, as with Charlie Longsdon training well this season, and with Kielan Woods claiming a very handy 7 pounds, Paintball looks sure to run his race and possibly improve. The handicapper gives him chances off a mark of 130, so again, a big run is expected. Sandown is a right-handed, galloping, testing track, so runners will need to be fit and ready.
Wincanton welcomes old favourite Celestial Halo, and he’s sure to be popular with punters, despite seemingly needing to be near his best to beat the favourite Grandouet. Paul Nicholls has been on record this week as saying that Celestial Halo is ready to run his race, so that’s good enough to back him for the win. The trip and ground should suit and he generally jumps well. He’s a course and distance winner, so should give the favourite plenty to think about. Wincanton is a right-handed, galloping track, which will suit horses with plenty of pace about them.
The Breeders’ Cup is at Churchill Downs on Saturday night, bringing in some of the best trainers, jockeys and horses from all over the world. The prize money is massive and all will be gunning for glory. It’s a great spectacle, whether a hopeful punter or just watching for fun.
