Best bets for Friday’s action at Doncaster

The first of two days of top class action takes centre stage at Doncaster on Friday with a competitive eight-race card on Town Moor.
Jockeys make their way to the parade ring during last month's St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse. Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty ImagesJockeys make their way to the parade ring during last month's St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse. Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Jockeys make their way to the parade ring during last month's St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse. Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

There is over £85,000 prize in money on offer across the meeting which gets underway at 1.00pm and concludes at 5.03pm. We have previewed all of the action with tips and analysis from BettingExpert’s resident tipster Stephen Harris.

One of the feature races of the day is the £19,000 Vertem Handicap over 14 furlongs which is live on ITV4 at 3.15pm. The exciting Ocean Wind looks to hold a live chance of making it three wins from four starts on the Flat for Roger Teal. The four-year-old absolutely bolted up over a longer trip of two miles and two furlongs last time out and emerged as one of the most exciting stayers in training. Not seen since that run in September, he has to shoulder top-weight in this event, but makes plenty of appeal, having also finished sixth in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last year and is the selection of BettingExpert’s Stephen Harris

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Stargazer returned to form for Philip Kirby with a 50/1 success at Haydock last time out and has to be feared on the back of that effort, whilst the unexposed Opera Gift has won his last two starts and did the business in smart fashion with a fluent three-length success at Yarmouth earlier this month. Rhythmic intent is talented and was a good fourth in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock in September, but this demands more.

The other £19,000 event is the Vertem Investing In The Future Handicap (2.40pm) over six furlongs. This event looks wide open, but Tranchee is enjoying a good season and finished an excellent second in a valuable big-field handicap at York last time. He boasts winning form on Town Moor and looks one of the more likely players. Classic winning jockey Tom Marquand takes the ride on the William Haggas-trained Aplomb who was eleventh in the same York handicap last time out, but is a danger is returning to the form he showed when scoring at Ripon last month.

Dazzling Dan has enjoyed a busy season, but is another to enter calculations if he can step up on his fourth-placed efforts on his last three starts, whilst Her Majesty The Queen owns the unexposed King’s Lynn who started favourite for the Ayr Silver Cup last time out, but was never a factor. The three-year-old son of Cable has only raced four times and also boasts winning form at the track, making him a leading player.

Across the rest of the card, Marquand and Haggas team up with newcomer Sea Sylph in the £6,300 British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes over a mile at 1.30pm. The two-year-old is a daughter of six-time Group One hero Sea The Stars and is a half-sister to Group-placed Alpen Rose. Haykal, a 130,000gns daughter of King George winner Nathaniel is another to note in that event for John Gosden who has had seven winners from 23 runners at the track this year, a sparkling 30% strike-rate.

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Newmarket trainer Roger Varian has enjoyed another good season on Town Moor with seven winners from 33 runners, a creditable 21% strike-rate. He saddles debutant El Drama who cost 425,000gns, is a half-brother to Listed winner Volume and looks a name to note.

Selections for Doncaster from BettingExpert’s Stephen Harris.

1.00pm - Valorant

1.30pm - Vesela

2.05pm - Kaheall

2.40pm - Tranchee

3.15pm - Ocean Wind

3.50pm - Astro King

4.25pm – Polyphony

5.03pm – Potenza

Tips and analysis via Betting Expert

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