Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Doncaster and Newbury on Saturday. View selections below.
PINZOLO (3.50) has sent out clear signals that he is a top-drawer Classic prospect and seems sure to go close in an open-looking Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. Trainer Charlie Appleby has seamlessly filled the Godolphin slot vacated by disgraced trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni and the yard is oozing confidence after racking up their 50th winner in midweek. Pinzolo defends an unbeaten record from two career starts. The colt mastered better-fancied stablemate Sudden Wonder (a subsequent eight-length winner) on his debut at Newmarket, then beat Red Galileo, also an easy winner since, at Newbury. Aidan O’Brien is chasing an eighth success in this Group 1 contest and has taken home three of the last four renewals courtesy of Kingsbarns, Camelot and St Nicholas Abbey. Joseph O’Brien is on a hat-trick and has picked Century over two other Ballydoyle inmates.
STUBBS (2.05) gives weight away in the six-furlong Listed event but looks a class apart on the strength of his close-up sixth to War Command in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Stubbs could kick-start a big day for O’Brien and he looked useful when scoring earlier in the season at Naas and Navan. Night Of Thunder made a startling winning debut for the Hannon/Hughes combo at Goodwood and will make his presence felt.
VOODOO PRINCE (2.40) has a fine record at Doncaster, finishing third in last year’s Betfred November Handicap and, more recently, occupying the same position behind Fogotten Hero and Greatwood at the St Leger meeting. Ed Dunlop’s gelding handles cut in the ground and another big run is eagerly anticipated in a very competitive middle-distance handicap.
A maximum field of 22 go to post for the Class 2 five-furlong sprint won last year by Jim Goldie’s speedster Jack Dexter and hardy stablemate HAWKEYETHENOO (3.15) will go off a tempting each-way price to smuggle the prize back over the border, despite a potentially awkward position out wide in stall three. Hawkeyethenoo could never get competitive in the Champions Sprint at Ascot last Saturday when dropped right out from his outside draw but is only 2lb higher than when scooping the 2012 Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood. Course winners Steps and Medicean Man could well have drawn plum berths up the rail and look sure to prove popular with punters.
At Newbury, MORNING POST (2.20) should go close in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes. Kevin Ryan’s Dubawi colt has been a revelation since blinkers were applied two starts back, landing the valuable St Leger sales race at Doncaster and backing that up with a fine third in the Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar.
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Alan
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