Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond previews Saturday's top-class action at Doncaster, with Wimbledon Hawkeye backed to live up to expectations in the feature.
With Champions Day in the rear view mirror, you could be forgiven for giving the jumping your full attention. Hold hard. The final domestic Group 1 of the season takes place at Doncaster, and we have a wonderful race in prospect for the William Hill Futurity Stakes. The headline grabber here would be a win for Wimbledon Hawkeye who is trained by James Owen.
He has only held a full flat licence for just over a year and his rise has felt meteoric, but Owen has already been a multiple champion trainer of purebred Arabians, rode many point to point winners, had a successful pre-training business and started out training under rules with NH horses with his first winners in May 2023. He then branched out onto the flat which has also been hugely successful. So not a flash in the pan.
He clearly has the magic touch though and Wimbledon Hawkeye has been a great advert for the yard. The colt is by Kameko who himself won the Futurity when it was run on the all-weather at Newcastle in 2019. Wimbledon Hawkeye is bidding to follow in the footsteps of Elm Park who won the Royal Lodge before adding this Group 1 to his two year old tally.
Delacroix is his closest market rival and is trained by a master in Aidan O’Brien who has won this race an incredible eleven times before. Delacroix won the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last time out which is the same successful route as last year’s Futurity winner Ancient Wisdom.
The latter was trained by Charlie Appleby who this time round is represented by Anno Domini. He’s hard to weigh up having run in, and won, two novice contests so far.
That’s the same path as Detain, whose wins have come at Kempton by a cumulative distance of nine lengths.
Hotazhell has more experience than his rivals with five runs under his belt and Jessica Harrington’s colt won’t mind conditions.
Royal Playwright comes from a fabulous Jeff Smith family as he’s a son on Juddmonte International winner Arabian Queen. His trainer Andrew Balding has a good record in the race having won it twice. Nebras also has the weight of family expectation to deal with, as he’s a half-brother to Nashwa, he’s inexperienced with just one run and win under his belt.
Seaplane is the outsider and looks to have work to do - Billy Loughnane takes the ride. The riding sensation has much to look forward to with a trip to the Breeders’ Cup around the corner.
I think it’s devilishly difficult but will go for a fairytale for James Owen with Wimbledon Hawkeye who is 5/2 favourite with Sky Bet.
At this time of year, it looks a tough card to find winners.
However, I’ll also be following Jerr Batt in the five furlong handicap at 2.05. The drop back to this trip will suit and at 8/1 could well pop back up off a favourable handicap mark. Blue Storm and last year’s winner Aberama Gold are two big dangers, but both are drawn out on opposite wings which won’t help.
Mustazeed has been a brilliant horse for trainer Harry Eustace, and I hope he can go well in the mile and a quarter class 2 handicap at 3.15.
On the face of it his draw in 17 looks tricky but as a hold up horse I hope it won’t inconvenience him unduly. He loves his trips to Donny and has the assistance of apprentice Kaiya Fraser who takes a useful 3lbs off his back.
Wild Nature looks one to have on side in the Nursery Handicap at 3.50. Charlie Appleby has won two runnings of this in recent years and the horse he finished second to at Newmarket last time out was Nebras who runs in the Group 1 earlier in the afternoon.
One more to note is Look Back Smiling who has claims in the seven furlong class 3 handicap at 4.25 if he can bring his best to Doncaster.
He is two from three at the track and won on this card twelve months ago. He may not be the most straightforward but a replication of his win in the Spring Mile back in March puts him in contention for trainer Gemma Tutty.
Jumping fans don’t need to fret though because Cheltenham’s season got underway on Friday, and Saturday’s card looks a corker too.
Sky Bet are offering money back as cash if you’re 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in the opening two and a half mile Novices’ Handicap Chase at 1.10.
With that offer in mind and given it’s such an open looking race, I’m going to side with Dutch Schultz who has done little wrong in his most recent runs over fences. Nine runs have resulted in two wins and four 2nds, and his trainer Gavin Cromwell has a well-advertised successful record with his runners in the UK and at Cheltenham in particular. He currently can boast a 22% strike rate with a level stakes profit of over £35 to a £1 stake at Prestbury Park.
However, I’ll see if it’s folly to take on Cromwell later in the afternoon.
His Bottler’secret is 10/11 favourite to win the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at 3.30, and I’m going with 100/30 second favourite Givemefive.
His trainer Harry Derham looks set for a superb season (his third with a licence) and he’s operating at a 36% strike rate at present. He’s yet to celebrate a winner at Cheltenham but it’s only a matter of time and I hope it comes with this horse who had the benefit of a recent run on the flat.
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