Timeform ITV Racing Tips | Saturday 29 March

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Doncaster

1.15 No bet advised

There are very few appealing profiles in the Brocklesby so it’s easy to see why Norman's Cay – representing connections who won this in 2022 with Persian Force – and Kamakameleon for last year’s winning trainer Dylan Cunha, have risen to the top of the betting. The former is probably more appealing, but his profile on paper isn’t so compelling as Persian Force’s was three years ago and, unsurprisingly, this is a very easy race to swerve for betting purposes.

1.50 0.5 pt ew – 2 Myal

It’s no surprise that the Spring Mile looks ultra-competitive but there aren’t too many profiles in the field more positive than the one belonging to Myal, who won his final four outings as a three-year-old and embarks on this season with prospects of making up into a smart performer. His final win, over seven furlongs at this track in October, was his best effort, and the way he powered through the final furlong having set a strong pace – the second and third, including next-time winner Thunder Roar (who reopposes here), came from out the back – was quite striking. That effort suggests he’ll have no problem stepping up to a mile – he may even improve for it – and while his trainer Steph Hollinshead has only had a handful of runners through the winter, she has shown that she’s capable of getting one fit back from a break.

2.25 1 pt – 4 Iberian

The Cammidge has a very tightly-knit look to it but they are mostly known quantities and a bit of improvement could go a long way. Iberian will certainly need to do that, but his profile is different to most of the others, which makes for some intriguing angles. He’s yet to fulfil the promise that saw him beat future Group 1 winners Sunway and Rosallion in the Champagne Stakes at this track as a two-year-old, but clearly an effort like that does hint at him having some untapped potential and there’s still time for him to get his career back on track. He only managed three runs as a three-year-old, finishing down the field in Group 1s on his first two, but he salvaged something from the season following a breathing operation when scoring down markedly in grade over this trip at Southwell in December. That form is short of the standard needed here, but in fairness the horse he edged out has won a useful handicap since, and it’s interesting that Charles Hills is sticking to six furlongs with him.

3.00 1 pt – 1 Botanical

This is a good renewal of the Doncaster Mile featuring no shortage of smart performers. Liberty Lane looks about the pick on form following a fine 2024 that saw him win the Cambridgeshire and sign off with a creditable second in a Group 2, but it’s not as if he’s well clear of his rivals. Indeed, he’s not far ahead of the same owner’s Botanical, and that one looks a better option at the prices. He likewise represents some strong handicap form – he was an excellent second in the John Smith’s Cup last summer – and there was a lot to like about his only subsequent outing when shaping best but edged out late in a heavy-ground listed race at Goodwood on his first start for new trainer George Boughey. Botanical is very lightly raced for a five-year-old and might still be open to improvement having had a breathing operation over the winter, with this drop back to a mile potentially in his favour considering he’s a very strong traveller. What’s more, the fact he hacked up in a competitive York handicap on his comeback last season bodes well for the likelihood of him being ready to do himself justice this time.

3.35 1 pt ew – 9 Lattam & 11 Whip Cracker

A trio of unexposed four-year-olds top the betting for the Lincoln, two of them running from three-figure handicap marks, and they’re by no means the only interest, with plenty of big handicap form on offer among the older brigade, including Lattam whose chance is pretty hard to pick holes in. Admittedly, he mightn’t have the unexposed profile of some of those ahead of him in the betting, but it’s not like he’s had tons and tons of racing either – 15 starts across his three seasons of racing – and his record fresh is compelling. A winner on his racecourse debut at 2, he won the Irish Lincolnshire first time out at four and was beaten only by Mr Professor in this race last year on his stable debut. That came at a time when the Camacho yard was fairly quiet, something that most certainly can’t be said this time around, the stable having had five winners and four placed horses from just 14 runners so far this month. Having signed off last year with a fine second to the progressive Carrytheone in the Balmoral at Ascot, it’s likely that this race has been the target ever since, and with a middle draw that should ensure he gets plenty of cover from the forecast headwind (provided the field doesn’t split), he ticks a lot of boxes.

Richard Hughes is another trainer who begins the turf season in good nick and his Whip Cracker is worth having on side, too. As an unexposed four-year-old he was well fancied for the Trial at Wolverhampton on his reappearance three weeks ago, but things didn’t go ideally, caught up in a bit of traffic early in the straight before finishing with more to give. That should have helped put him spot on for this and he leaves the impression that a galloping, well-run mile could be his optimum. A mark of 97 looks attractive when considering his first run last year saw him edge out Caviar Heights for second – with Ambiente Friendly a place further back – behind Jayarebe in the Feilden.

Kempton

2.05 1 pt – 9 Alrazeen

Kamboo was top of our shortlist for this 2m handicap but his price has contracted throughout the day on Friday and he’s reluctantly passed over at cramped odds with Alrazeen making most appeal at the prices against him. Admittedly, he was disappointing last time when favourite at Southwell bidding for a four-timer, but perhaps that came soon enough after his win here in early-February, he’s been given a longer break since then and prior to that he’d looked like a horse really going places, his ready success here on his penultimate start boosted by the runner-up winning well himself next time. If back in that form he’s capable of going close.

2.40 2 pts – 7 Mount Atlas

There are a number of horses you could make a solid case for in the Rosebery but top of that list by some way in our book is Mount Atlas. Unraced at two, he progressed with every single run last year, collecting a maiden at Redcar and a handicap at Ascot along the way, before finishing a very creditable second in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket on his final start. His Ascot win (when he was value for extra over the bare result) worked out really well, and the way he tanked through the race at Newmarket suggests he’s a horse with potentially a fair bit more to come this year. He’s only had five completed starts, he’s been gelded since last year and as a strong traveller with a pretty sharp turn of foot, this test looks right up his street, with the added bonus of stall 1 over a C&D in which the first turn comes up very quickly.

3.15 1 pt – 9 Shuwari

Clearly Soprano is the right favourite for this listed race but there are definite grounds for believing the gap between her and Shuwari in the betting shouldn’t be as big as it is at the time of putting this preview together. Admittedly, Shuwari missed the entirety of last year and has to prove that she’s trained on from her two-year-old days, but it’s worth remembering that she had Soprano back in third when she won the Star Stakes (the pair of them split by Fallen Angel) on the same terms as they meet here. She went on to improve even further when second in both the Rockfel and the Fillies’ Mile after that, and although she’s been off a long time and is entitled to strip fitter for the outing, it’s unlikely Soprano will be cherry ripe either so early in the year, her three-year-old campaign quite an arduous one that went on all the way into November at the Breeders’ Cup.

You can access the TV Focus selections and rationale at 5pm the evening before racing for £7.50 on the Timeform website.

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