2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Preview – DS
Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Preview
Wick Green ensured our poor recent run continued. He had no excuses, he jumped well but just wasn’t good enough. We only landed one place last weekend, hopefully we can stop the rot today. Dave’s 2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday tips are below.
1.10 Cheltenham – William Hill Novices’ Handicap Chase (Class 3)
There’s a total of ten live races on ITV today. Too many? Yes, especially the way my selections have been running in the last couple of weeks. First up we have a 20f novices’ handicap chase and it looks a minefield. You could make a case for quite a few of them and the one I will take a chance on at big odds is the Ben Case trained chasing debutant Bashers Reflection.
This son of Mount Nelson is bred to be a chaser. His dam is out of a full sister to triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate and Cornish Rebel, a two-time winner over fences at this track. This gelding was last sighted running well over hurdles here back in April (20.5f, good). He may have finished ninth but he was only 3l behind the winner and 2l off a place.
He makes his chasing debut off a 2lb lower mark and while he lacks a run, he has gone well fresh before. Good ground is fine and he returns with his yard in superb form. Three of Ben Case’s last four runners have won and one of those winners was also returning from a similar break. Good ground is fine, his form figures in class 3s over hurdles read 112 and while he isn’t one for max stakes, at odds of 25/1 a small e/w interest is advised.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: Bashers Reflection e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
1.30 Doncaster – Prospect Stakes (Listed)
The interesting one at a price in this Listed contest is John Ryan’s La Bellota. Yes, he is more exposed than some of his rivals and he’s already been gelded, but he has run some excellent races in defeat on soft ground this season and if the first-time blinkers eke out a bit more improvement, he could run into the places here.
He was only beaten a neck in a Newbury Group 2 on his last start at 6f on testing ground back in September. Okay, he was well beaten in the Abbaye but he was poorly drawn and he can be easily forgiven that run. Last time out he bounced back to form with a solid fourth in a Group 3 at Newmarket and he shaped like he was ready for the step back up to this trip.
The booking of Oisin Murphy for the first time catches the eye and he has arguably achieved more than some of his shorter priced rivals. Chances are that one of the less exposed runners will win but odds of 14/1 are big enough to warrant a modest e/w bet on La Bellota.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: La Bellota e/w @ 14/1
1.45 Cheltenham – William Hill Novices’ Hurdle (Class 2)
Just five runners and not much value to be had. No bet.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: No Bet
2.05 Doncaster – Century Racing Club Handicap (Class 2)
Aberama Gold caught the eye running on well at Catterick last week and he has to have a huge chance of repeating his win in this race last year off an 11lb lower mark. He’s single figure odds though and at a bigger price, maybe Designer can hit the frame.
John Butler’s charge ran poorly on her return to action at York in August after undergoing wind surgery during her 319 day break. However, she shaped a lot better returned to soft ground at Haydock last month, beaten 3.75l off 93, and she’s been dropped another 2lb for that run.
She’s in off 91 here today, the same mark off which she won a big pot at York in August of last year. That was on quick ground, but she handles these condition too and she was beaten just 2.5l into second off 97 on heavy ground in this race in 2022. She’s 6lb lower now, Jamie Spencer gets the leg up and at odds of 12/1, Designer is worth backing e/w.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: Designer e/w @ 12/1 (5 places) NAP
2.20 Cheltenham – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
We backed Kinondo Kwetu for the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown last season and he let us down. However, I am not sure he was effective on that right handed track and he should be much better suited by this course. Now, he was pulled up on his only previous run here in this race last year, which seemingly blows that theory out of the water, but the ground was good to soft and he’s at his best on proper good ground.
He also lacked a recent run coming into this last year but that won’t be an issue this time. He comes into this on the back of three excellent efforts, winning at Uttoxeter and Warwick, then finishing a 2l second on his last start at Perth.
He’s been hiked up to 142 now but he has placed off higher marks in the past. As I mentioned earlier, he likes going left handed and eight of his nine career wins have come going that way round. He’ll be dropped out and will need luck in running but if he is in the mood, Kinondo Kwetu is more than capable of outrunning his odds of 20/1.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: Kinondo Kwetu e/w @ 20/1 (5 places)
2.40 Doncaster – Futurity Stakes (Group 1)
We landed a nice touch with Sumo Sam last season at Goodwood and I am hoping her half-brother Seaplane can do us a turn in this 8f Group 1. It took this son of Golden Horn three goes to get off the mark. He landed his first win in a 7f Newmarket maiden late last month, making all for an easy 4.5l win. He had an 84 rated rival back in second so it was a decent effort.
Like his half-sister, this horse seems to relish testing ground and while it wont be bottomless at Donny, it will certainly be soft. The fact that Seaplane now wears a tongue tie suggests that there could be more in the tank and on breeding, and the evidence of his last run, the step up to a mile is a positive. Wimbledon Hawkeye is the one to beat but hopefully Seaplane makes a bold bid and hangs on for place money at odds of 16/1.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: Seaplane e/w @ 16/1
2.55 Cheltenham – Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
The interesting one here at odds of around 14/1 is the Irish raider Como Park. Trained by Henry De Bromhead, the key to this horse is genuine good ground. That’s what he had on his last run over hurdles at Ballinrobe in July and it resulted in a neck victory off 116. He’s 11lb higher here but there could still be more to come from the 5yo son of Camelot.
This horse is also useful on the flat and he is rated 88 in that sphere. He ran poorly on the level on his last start at Killarney but that came on soft ground. His career form figures on the flat and over hurdles on good or quicker read 32131 and those two wins came on left handed tracks. He’s unexposed at 3m and he probably needs a hike to get into the final of this next March so he should be trying. At odds of 14/1, Como Park is the e/w selection.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: Como Park e/w @ 14/1 (4 places) NB
3.10 Newbury – Horris Hill Stakes (group 3)
We backed Star Anthem last time and he ran a cracker to finish fourth over 6f in a Group 2 here. Clive Cox’s son of Starspangledbanner was doing his best work at the finish, just like he was when beaten just 2l in the Coventry on much quicker ground.
The step up to 7f should really suit this colt and we know he handles testing ground. It’s heavy at Newbury again today and the fav, Benevento, has to prove he goes in these conditions. Star Anthem had been off for a few months before his latest effort so he could strip fitter for that run and his odds of 9/1 are just about big enough for the blog. Back him e/w.
2024 Doncaster & Cheltenham Saturday Tip: Star Anthem e/w @ 9/1
3.30 Cheltenham – Masterson Holdings Hurdle (Class 2)
Not a race I am going to get involved in. Bottler’secret should win if he is fit but he’s priced accordingly. No bet.
