Tips and analysis ahead of Saturday’s Sky Bet Chase meeting at Doncaster

Doncaster Racecourse stage its biggest jumps raceday of the season on Saturday afternoon.
Action from Doncaster. Photo by Tim Goode - Pool / Getty ImagesAction from Doncaster. Photo by Tim Goode - Pool / Getty Images
Action from Doncaster. Photo by Tim Goode - Pool / Getty Images

An excellent seven-race card includes stacks of top class action at Town Moor. The racing gets underway at 12.25pm and concludes at 3.55pm.

The ground at the track is currently Good, Good to Soft in places and we have previewed the best of the action with our guide to the feature races. Make sure to check out the latest racing odds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The feature race of the day is the £100,000 Listed Sky Bet Chase at 3.20pm. The contest is run over three miles and sees 17 runners go to post. Cap Du Nord was eighth on his latest start, but off 10st, he could be absolutely thrown in here. Fusil Raffles is another leading player who landed the Charlie Hall at Wetherby in October before finishing fourth to Coole Cody in a competitive handicap at Cheltenham in December.

Debece has undergone wind surgery since finishing second at Sandown and he is interesting given he has won fresh before. Paul Nicholls has an interesting contender in Kapcorse who scored in fine style at Newbury in November and has been given a nice layoff since. Nicholls also runs stable companion Grand Sancy who needs to step up on his efforts so far this term. The likes of Ladbrokes Trophy winner Cloudy Glen and the Kerry Lee-trained duo of Demachine and Storm Control can also not be ruled out. However, preference is for Midnight Shadow. He has already tasted success at Cheltenham this term and was not disgraced back at the track last time out. He has to defy joint top-weight along with Nuts Well here, but he is clearly the act in this event.

Another highlight of the card is the £60,000 Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle, a Grade Two contest at 2.10pm live on ITV Racing. Miranda will have to defy a penalty in this contest, but she already boasts a victory in this race last term and she looks very tough to oppose. Western Victory was fourth on her debut last week for Emma Lavelle and she remains of interest along with Anna Bunina who was fifth on her comeback at Musselburgh.

Elsewhere on the card, the River Don Novices’ Hurdle (2.45pm) carries a prize fund of £30,000 and the three-mile contest features the unexposed Unanswered Prayers with Josh Moore back in the saddle for this contest. Successful at Wincanton last time out, he is open to more improvement and is taken to see off the prolific Not At Present who targets a fourth straight win and My Bobby Dazzler who shaped with promise when fourth at Cheltenham last time out.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another highlight on the card is the Lightning Novices’ Chase, a Grade Two contest with a £38,000 prize fund at 1.35pm. Only three runners go to post, but this is a fascinating event and For Pleasure is interesting judged on his sparkling win at Plumpton last time out. Do Your Job was second in Graded company at Kempton in December and is clearly a player, but the chief threat looks to be Third Time Lucki. The seven-year-old was impressive in his first two runs over fences at Cheltenham and he went on to fill third having made some novicey mistakes in Grade One company at Sandown in December. However, this track should play to his strengths and he is taken to come out on top here.

Doncaster selections

12.25pm Ted’s Friend

1.00pm Roque It

1.35pm Third Time Lucki

2.10pm Miranda

2.45pm Unaswered Prayers

3.20pm Midnight Shadow

3.55pm Prairie Wolf