Tips for Doncaster, the Curragh and Leopardstown

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Thu March 27, 2025 · 5d ago

Our Podcast panel of Fran Berry, David Johnson and Graham Cunningham provide their weekend fancies for Doncaster, the Curragh and Leopardstown.

WATCH: This week's Racing Podcast

TRIBAL CHIEF – 1.50 Doncaster, Saturday

William Hill Top Price Guarantee Spring Mile Handicap

I’ve got to mention Myal for Steph Hollinshead in the Lincoln as he’d be a shorter price I reckon if he was trained in a bigger yard. I think he might get a run in the main race too but the horse I’m most interested in this weekend is possibly more one for the Spring Mile rather than the Lincoln and that is TRIBAL CHIEF, who is 36 on the list at the moment. His trainer David Menuisier won the Lincoln a couple of years ago with Migration; this is a different type of horse because he’s just working his way through the handicap ranks at the moment. But he really progressed in his last three or four runs last season and he’s got a turn of foot which tends to be the sign of a good horse who will keep progressing. So keep an eye on Tribal Chief, if he sneaks into the Lincoln, then great, but he’ll be dead interesting in the consolation race too. (Graham Cunningham)

WATCH: Tribal Chief's final run of 2024 at Newmarket

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TWO STARS – 2.15 the Curragh, Saturday

Tote Never Beaten By SP Handicap

TWO STARS is a one who has been in my tracker for a while and he’s entered at the Curragh on Saturday. It’s Fozzy Stack’s horse and I remember reporting on it at Doncaster when he ran over six [furlongs]. He absolutely bombed through the race and just ended up getting outstayed by Eye Of Dubai. But I remember saying that day ‘that’ll win races early in the season back at the Curragh’. He came to hand really well last year, he goes well on testing ground and he’s back at five furlongs so he’s ticking plenty of boxes that I was hoping to see. (David Johnson)

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BARNAVARA – 3.10 Leopardstown, Sunday

Ballylinch Stud 'Priory Belle' Stakes (Fillies' Group 3)

The fillies’ Group 3 at Leopardstown on Sunday [Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ Stakes] can often be a very messy race, there’s a very short run to the first bend from the seven-furlong start at Leopardstown. We have 21 entries and they’re going to get near enough a full field and there can be a lot of hard-luck stories but BARNAVARA, trained by Jessica Harrington, would be the most interesting for me. Third to Heavens Gate when last seen in Group 3 company at the Curragh, she’s a strong traveller and crucially she’s won on both types of ground. We’re due to get rain over here in Ireland on Friday and she’ll be interesting taking on the likes of Bubbling who would be the standard-bearer in some respects and Chantez for Ger Lyons who looked very good when winning here on Irish Champions Weekend. (Fran Berry)

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