Doncaster Racecourse: Preview and tips for Friday’s card

The raceday kicks off with a two-mile three-and-half-a-furlong maiden hurdle at 12.25pm before concluding at 3.48pm with a National Hunt Flat Race over two miles and half a furlong.

Read below to discover the latest tips and a full preview of Doncaster’s card on Friday courtesy of Racing TV, who offer the latest Cheltenham free bets offers ahead of the Festival in March.

The opening maiden hurdle at 12.25 looks like a nice place for As Legends Have It to potentially win his first hurdle race. Ben Pauling won this specific maiden hurdle with Storminhome in 2023 and Champagne Twist in 2024, so he likes to target the race. As Legends Have It was a horse to follow from the Gloucestershire-based trainer at the start of the season and finishing a 15-length second to Nicky Henderson’s useful Califet En Vol at Kempton in November is no disgrace.

Race two (12.55) sees nine runners contest a two-mile three-furlong novices’ handicap chase and One More Stroke gets the vote here. Just three pounds separates the top six in the handicap, so two-thirds of the field are carrying very similar weights, and One More Stroke has the best form. The six-year-old beat Breizh River, a horse now rated 131 over fences, at Carlisle in March when giving seven pounds away. For a horse rated just 114, that’s good form, and his first two runs over fences have been promising.

The third race (1.28) is run over the same course and distance as the first contest and it might be worth chancing Independent Jimmy. He ran a nice race at Carlisle last month over this distance despite making errors at the final two hurdles. The handicapper dropped him one pound for that effort and he can build on that performance.

There was a lot to like about what Meetmebythesea did at Ludlow last month, so he is the vote in the two-mile half-a-furlong novices’ hurdle at 2.03. He caused a big shock in December when beating The Kemble Brewery, who went off at a starting price of 4/11, but there was no fluke in the performance. He jumped smartly and ran powerfully through the line, so the performance was impressive. He has to give four pounds away to Mythical Moon, but Callum Pritchard’s seven-pound claim helps negate that issue.

One that can outrun his odds in the three-mile half-a-furlong handicap hurdle (2.38) is Best Life in the legendary Hemmings Racing silks. He looked like the winner with four furlongs to go at Haydock over the same distance last March but found One Big Bang too good. The winner went on to win again at Uttoxeter before finishing second in the valuable Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock in November. Best Life has run twice since to not much avail, but back up to three miles in softening conditions will suit and he can do some damage off a mark of 102.

The three-mile handicap chase at 3.13 is the final contest over obstacles at Doncaster on Friday and conditions could fall in the favour of Whosmydaddy. The rain is set to hit the track on Friday morning, so a proven stayer on bad ground is preferable for this race, and Stuart Coltherd’s seven-year-old fits that bill. He won on soft at Musselburgh last year and then backed up that success at Ayr off 97 in March. His current rating of 100 is workable and he’s the one to side with.

In the finale, a two-mile half-a-furlong bumper (3.48), Datsalrightcharlie makes the most appeal thanks to an interesting pedigree. Although his name is similar, he has no family relation to Datsalrightgino who won the Coral Gold Cup for the same connections in 2023. However, a dive into his pedigree reveals he is a half-brother to Granny Lowrie who was first past the post on his debut as a five-year-old for Patrick Doyle. He is also closely related to Darlan, a Grade 1 winner for Nicky Henderson who won his first four starts. Those two family relations mentioned were fairly precocious types, so there’s hope that Datsalrightcharlie has inherited that trait.

Doncaster selections - Friday

12.25 - As Legends Have It

12.55 - One More Stroke

1.28 - Independent Jimmy

2.03 - Meetmebythesea

2.38 - Best Life

3.13 - Whosmydaddy

3.48 - Datsalrightcharlie