Doncaster and Huntingdon

the first race today at Doncaster, a novice chase over 2 miles at 14.20 CET (but now at 14.25, as all races here will now be run 5 minutes later than scheduled), is the most interesting event of the day, even with only two runners, as one of them is Rock on Ruby (Harry Fry/ Noel Fehily), winner of the Champion Hurdle in 2012 and runner-up last year. He won his first chase easily enough and is a likely Cheltenham runner, assuming he wins today. It will bo no pushover however as his opponent Mr. Mole (Paul Nicholls/ Tony McCoy) is no slouch and may be able to handle the soft ground better.McCoy has several rides for owner JP McManus today, all for different trainers, and at 14.50 he partners Alan King´s Gone Too Far, where Vaniteux (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty) looks the main danger. The Henderson/ Geraghty team also have a good chance in the novice hurdle at 15.25 with the penalised Electrolyser, but this looks an open affair with somer interesting opponents, including First Mohican (King/ Robert Thornton) and Retrieve (John Ferguson( Denis O´Regan) both boasting smart flat form and Lyric Street (Donald McCain/ Jason Maguire) being out of the German Group One winner Elle Danzig. The KIng stable has been under a cloud this season, but if there are signs that they are coming back into form, then we must support Oh Crick at 17.10, who is now very well handicapped on his old form; the alternative is Clondaw Knight (Lucinda Russell/ Keith Renwick), the form of whose Kelso win 3 months ago has been boosted several times since.
Best race at Huntingdon is the 4yo hurdle at 15.50, with several possible Triumph Hurdle runners entered. John Ferguson has sent his main jockey to Doncaster, but has two interesting runners here, both of course with good flat pedigrees: Muhtaris (Sam Twiston-Davies) and Royal Skies (Jack Quinlan); We shall take a chance on the former, a half-brother to the good German performer Black Arrow. Another runner with a German connection here is ex-Ullmann horse Dawn Twister (Lucy Wadham/ Leighton Aspell), who comes down in trip at 16.25 and gets our vote after not getting home over longer distances.

Betting forecast Doncaster:
1. Race: Mr Mole - Mr Mole -
2. Race: Vaniteux - Gone Too Far - Portway Flyer
3. Race: First Mohican - Electrolyser - Fair Loch
4. Race: Fentara - Harry The Viking - Howard`S Legacy
5. Race: Top Billing - One Conemara - Streams Of Whiskey
6. Race: Clondaw Knight - King Spirit - Thunderstorm
7. Race: Straits Of Messina - Lean Burn - Torgamah Lad