The British Flat season gets under way this Saturday and our experts highlight a few horses to follow and also reveal their early fancies for the Classics.
The William Hill Lincoln and Spring Mile are the big betting heats as the Flat returns at Doncaster – who catches the eye following final declarations?
Andrew Asquith: I put up the William Haggas-trained Godwinson in my Weekend View column on Tuesday and hopefully he’ll have a good chance. He goes best when fresh, narrowly beaten in the Spring Cup at Newbury on his return last season when he still looked a little rough around the edges, and his win at Goodwood (when comfortably beating Midnight Gun) came off the back of an 11-week break. You have to forgive his last two runs, but he wasn’t well positioned in the Cambridgeshire, and first-time cheekpieces on soft ground didn’t have a positive effect in the Balmoral. The headgear is left off now and the ground should ride better on Saturday, so I’m hopeful I’m right in thinking he remains at the right end of the handicap. It is hard to know if his draw in stall 3 in a positive or negative as yet but there is some pace around him.
John Ingles: Karl Burke has never won the Lincoln but has a couple of good chances of putting that right this year with unexposed four-year-olds Native Warrior and Thunder Run. The latter progressed well in his first season, finishing up by shaping well when fourth in the Balmoral at Ascot on his final start last year, and he could easily end up in something better than handicaps this term. Naepoint has a similar sort of profile for Ed Bethell, having won three of his last four starts last year, one of those over course and distance, and he can improve further in the Spring Mile which his trainer won in 2021.
Matt Brocklebank: Ex-Ballydoyle Ocean Of Dreams is certainly intriguing on debut (cheekpieces applied) for Archie Watson in the Spring Mile following a long time off the track but there's nothing particularly solid about his credentials. In the same race, Rhythm Master was a proper eyecatcher on his all-weather comeback (replay below) and will be fine on the ground here. He's drawn in stall one and seven of the past 10 winners have emerged from single-figure stalls, including two from the very same stall. I'll be going through the Lincoln in finer detail on Friday so all will be revealed in the Value Bet column.
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Are you looking to back anything else on the Saturday Doncaster programme?
Andrew Asquith: In the Spring Mile I think Ed Bethell has an interesting runner in Naepoint. He progressed rapidly once entering handicaps last season, winning three of his four starts in this sphere, including over the Spring Mile course and distance. He produced a near-smart performance on his final start at Redcar, beating a rival he had on his previous start in similar fashion despite being worse off at the weights, confirming he’s improving all the time. The handicapper raised him 5lb for that success, which does look on the lenient side, and given he is just the sort to develop into an even better four-year-old, he has to be high on the shortlist for a race of this nature.
John Ingles: Iberian is an intriguing runner for Charlie Hills in the Cammidge Trophy. His three-year-old campaign was something of a write-off, even if he did end it with a win at Southwell late in the year, but I saw him win the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster as a two-year-old, when Rosallion was among those he beat, before he started second favourite to City of Troy in the Dewhurst. His trainer has won this before, and it will be interesting to see how he gets on against some smart but more exposed sprinters.
Matt Brocklebank: I'm hoping there might still be enough juice in the ground for James's Delight to make his seasonal debut. There must be a chance Clive Cox pulls him out if the forecast Friday showers don't arrive but Doncaster have been stressing all week that the ground is likely to remain 'on the soft side' despite the relatively warm and sunny weather. This horse still has potential to be high-class and he goes well fresh too so first time out in a Listed race (getting weight off the top weight) seems like a fine time to catch him.
Do you have an early Classic fancies ahead of the Flat season opener?
Andrew Asquith: I put up Ruling Court for the 2000 Guineas in this year’s Timeform Horses To Follow booklet, and with the recent news that The Lion In Winter is likely to miss the race, I’m even stronger on him now. That Acomb form where he finished third to The Lion In Winter is rock solid and Ruling Court started a strong favourite that day, but he sweated up beforehand and was a little edgy in the prelims, too. He looked in fine shape when completing a simple task on his first start at a mile at Meydan earlier this month and, while Charlie Appleby has said we’ll see the best from him when he tries middle distances, he showed a smart turn of foot at Meydan, and remains with untapped potential.
John Ingles: Rhapsody is a filly I have my eye on for the Oaks. She did very well to get up late for a winning debut for William Haggas at Yarmouth on her only start last year and her pedigree strongly suggests she can only do better over middle distances this season. It's a bit of a surprise, therefore, that she’s being kept to a mile for her reappearance at Kempton on Saturday, which might prove on the sharp side, but win or lose I’d be looking for an encouraging reappearance ahead of a step up in trip next time.
Matt Brocklebank: Ancient Truth and Shadow Of Light were top-quality two-year-olds for Charlie Appleby but I'm with Andy and am convinced Ruling Court is the Godolphin colt to really get behind in 2025. A striking winner on debut at Sandown last summer, he went into York's Acomb with a huge reputation and while a shade disappointing as even-money favourite, it was no disgrace to be third behind The Lion In Winter and Wimbledon Hawkeye. He's already come out and hacked up in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas at Meydan on March 1 and surely that has secured his spot at Newmarket in early-May.
Impressive! 👀
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 25, 2024
🔵 Ruling Court cost €2,300,000 as a yearling and romps home on his debut at @Sandownpark under @WilliamBuickX for Charlie Appleby and @godolphin. The Justify colt, sent off at 4/9, is an exciting juvenile for the months ahead. pic.twitter.com/g10sIYHQJR
Give us one to watch in Ireland as the Curragh and Leopardstown host quality cards this weekend.
Andrew Asquith: Race fitness won’t be a problem for Big Gossey in the Gladness Stakes, having had three starts on the all-weather this year and arguably proving as good as ever in a six-furlong handicap at this course a couple of weeks ago. He loves it round here – he’s a seven-time course winner – who is versatile regards ground and trip and he may offer some value up against some less-exposed types.
John Ingles: Karl Burke could well have a winner at the Curragh too on Saturday. His Poet Master looks to have plenty going for him in the Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes. A seven-furlong specialist, he was an impressive winner of the Minstrel Stakes over course and distance last summer when beating the re-opposing Lord Massusus and has won first time out in both his previous campaigns.
Matt Brocklebank: We obviously don't have the final field for Sunday's Ballysax Stakes at this stage but Carolina Jetstream has an entry and will be a fascinating runner wherever she turns up next. She showed bundles of promise in her first couple of outings before winning a Dundalk maiden towards the end of November and she kicked off the current campaign with an easy win on the all-weather last month. She looks the type to really blossom over middle-distances this year (entered in the Irish Oaks).
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