Rest of today´s flat racing

The rest of the Doncaster card also looks very competitive and kicks off with the Spring Mile handicap at 15.05 CET for horses that were entered for the Lincoln, but did not make the cut. With 22 runners this is just as difficult as the big race itself. The favourites here are Kalk Bay (William Haggas/ Johnny Murtagh) and Mata Keranjang (Paul Cole/ Jamie Spencer), who is very well handicapped on his 2yo form, but both of them are drawn low and we shall take a chance on the stands side runners and make top-weight Manassas (Brian Meehan/ Louis-Philippe Beuzelin), Eton Forever (Roger Varian/ Neil Callan) and Norman Orpen (Jane Chapple-Hyam/ Ryan Moore) our three against the field. The other big race here is the listed Cammidge Trophy over 6 furlongs at 15.35. Prime Defender (Barry Hills/ Robert Winston) is a specialist for this event, having won it in 2009 and finished second last year. Obviously he can go close again, but our preferences are Iver Bridge Lad (James Ryan/ Jimmy Quinn), who followed up 2 good performances in Dubai with an easy win at Kempton last week, and Lovelace (David and Adrian Nicholls). The latter was a very smart miler in younger days, as we remember from his impressive Baden-Baden win in 2008 when trained by Mark Johnston, but Nicholls raced him with success at 7 furlongs last year and now brings him back a further furlong.

The other flat meeting is on the all-weather at Kempton and punters are reminded that low numbers are now best here, and for this reason we like top-weight Red Cadeaux (Ed Dunlop/ Eddie Anern) in the Rosebery Handicap over 11 furlongs at 16.25, drawn right against the inside rail. There are two listed races on the card here, with the Magnolia Stakes over 10 furlongs as the first race at 15.20. Last year´s Lincoln winner Penitent (William Haggas/ Frankie Dettori) should run well here, but he has little in hand of Pink Symphony (Paul Cole/ Chris Catlin). Frankie has another good chance in the fillies listed race at 17.35 on Marco Botti´s Mosqueras Romance, who is top-rated in this mile event and also drawn one. The problem with this filly is her poor strike rate; she has only ever won once - over this CD- while she has been runner-up 6 times. We shall therefore take a chance with Kinky Afro (Stan Moore/ Liam Keniry), who has been off the track since August, but had earlier run well in similar company, including in Germany.