End of British flat racing for 2010

This Doncaster meeting traditionally marks the end of the flat racing season in the U.K. (although there is plenty of all-weather racing still to come). Thr ar huge fiels, with no fewer than 17 runners dclared fr the 8 ras ad winners will be hard to find. This is also true for Paul Hanagan and Richard Hughes, so that the former is still favourite to hang on to his narrow lead, even though Hughes has possibly the better rides today.

Both of them ride in all 7 races open to them. Of course, if Hughes were to win the two divisions of the 2yo maiden that start the card, on Richard Hannon´s Ceffyl Gwell at 13.15 CET and Jeremy Noseda´s Fettuccine at 13.50, then we would have a new situation; both should start favourite, but there is plenty of opposition to both of them.

There are 2 listed races on the card, and we hope that the Godolphin filly Modeyra (Saeed bin Suroor/ Ted Durcan) can remain unbeaten in the 10 furlongs race for fillies at 15.35. The tough mare Les Fazzani (Kevin Ryan/ Hanagan) should be thereabouts - she won this race in 2008- while Hughes´ mount Middle Club could also be involved, as well as the ex-German All Analena (Lucy Wadham/ Dane O´Neill). The other listed race, over 6 furlongs at 16.40, can go to Inler (Brian Meehan/ Kieren Fallon).

The big betting race is the November Handicap over 1 1/2 miles at 16.10, which looks as wide open as ever with 23 runners. John Gosden has an excellent record here, and his Senate (Hughes) is one for the short list. The Godolphin runner Willing Foe (Durcan) is relatively unexposed and has won all 3 starts this year, but this is a much tougher race. Hanagan also has a chance on Tepmokea, but the two we like best are another ex-German Salden Licht (Alan King/ Martin Harley) and the lightly-weighted Simenon (Andrew Balding/ David Probert).