Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Doncaster and Meydan on Saturday. View selections below.
JACK’S REVENGE (3.50) looks value to land the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster. Trainer George Baker sent him out to finish a running-on fifth to Levitate in last year’s renewal and the forecast soft ground won’t inconvenience this seasoned campaigner. Jack’s Revenge posted another solid effort at York in October when chasing home useful Graphic in a Class 2 handicap and tops my shortlist, narrowly in front of course and distance scorer Sweet Lightning, a clear-cut winner of the Irish Lincolnshire when the mud was flying, Levitate and One Word More. Levitate has a much tougher task this year at the weights but is ridden by a useful 7lb claimer, while Tom Queally could have trotted down to Kempton to ride Rebellious Guest but instead comes here for the mount on One Word More, a winner on deep ground at Ayr last season.
The more rain the better for JACK DEXTER (2.40) and Jim Goldie’s sprinter wins a confident vote to repeat last year’s victory in the Cammidge Trophy, despite shouldering a 5lb penalty for his Group 3 victory in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle. Jack Dexter was pipped by Slade Power on Champions Day at Ascot and he can outmuscle chief rival Tropics, another sprinter going places judged on some sterling efforts last season. Tropics has a 5lb penalty to carry for an emphatic success at Ascot in October and he also handles testing conditions. Maureen was quick out of the blocks last season, scooping the Dubai Duty Free at Newbury in April, and Richard Hannon jnr will have his filly well tuned up to put down an early marker on his new training career.
The Americans may have snubbed Meydan this year but there remains plenty of quality on parade at the Dubai World Cup carnival. Epsom Derby hero Ruler Of The World would be an appropriately-named winner of the ‘big one’ on a star-studded card and could well fight out the finish with MILITARY ATTACK (6.05). Trained by top Hong Kong handler John Moore, Military Attack strolled clear of a Group 1 field in the Singapore International but endured a rough passage when only fourth to Akeed Mofeed in the Hong Kong Cup. The six-year-old warhorse easily landed his prep race at Sha Tin last month and looks sure to be involved. Red Cadeaux, not for the first time, could well outrun his price.
Cavalryman bids to repeat last year’s success in the Dubai Gold Cup and looked most impressive when strolling clear in his warm-up race. The Godolphin stayer had SIMENON (1.45) in arrears last time but Willie Mullins’ globetrotter was hardly knocked about, restrained in the rear and running through beaten horses up the straight. A very different Simenon will turn up here and Willie Mullins has been making encouraging noises about his prospects.
The Sheema Classic always attracts a top-class field and Magician is another Aidan O’Brien representative to figure at the top of the market. The acceleration he showed when landing the Breeders’ Cup Turf could be his ace card once again but the British-based bookmakers may have underestimated Hong Kong challenger DOMINANT (7.17). His trainer reports him in terrific shape and Dominant should be in the shake-up if able to reproduce the form of his shock 33-1 victory over The Fugue and Dunaden in the Hong Kong Vase.
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Alan
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