Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up four tips at Doncaster and Newbury on Saturday. View selections below.
Sherwood could be on the scoresheet at Doncaster, with THE ORGANIST (3.10) a leading contender in the BetBright Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, a Listed event over three miles.
The ground will be riding appreciably quicker than the five-year-old has encountered this winter but she scored by 15 lengths at Huntingdon on good to soft earlier in the season. The Organist ploughed through the mud to score by 28 lengths at Fontwell on Boxing Day before finding Tara Flow much too strong in the closing stages at Leicester in late January. She doesn’t meet a rival of that calibre here and is taken to resume winning ways.
The BetBright Grimthorpe Chase is always a keen betting race and SEGO SUCCESS (3.45) fairly spread-eagled the field on his previous visit to Town Moor in December when aggressive tactics and the application of cheek-pieces proved a masterstroke.
Things didn’t go according to plan in Warwick’s Classic Chase next time when Sego Success, the 7-1 market leader, departed at the second fence, but the eight-year-old doesn’t look overburdened with 11st 3lb on his back and he has won on faster ground in the past.
At Newbury, the popular Betway Supporting Greatwood Veterans’ Chase should see a bold show from 12-year-old PETE THE FEAT (2.15).
Charlie Longsdon’s gelding ran a cracker at Fontwell in early December when just held by Alternatif, with Ziga Boy 34 lengths away in third. Pete The Feat could manage only fourth at Catterick next time, probably finding 3m 6f beyond him, but he bounced back to top form at Sandown last month when splitting La Reve and Unioniste.
A previous course and distance winner, Pete The Feat gets the vote over Shotavodka, a fine fourth to Saint Are at Doncaster a fortnight ago and likely to outrun his big odds.
The concluding bumper is jam-packed with previous winners and some potentially hot recruits, so BAGS GROOVE (5.10) will need to be at the top of his game to defy a penalty for scoring at Huntingdon at the end of January.
That was a warm contest but Bags Groove was always travelling comfortably near the head of affairs before making a decisive move two out. Harry Fry and unflappable Noel Fehily make a formidable team and Bags Groove should go off at an each-way price.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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