2025 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tips – DS
2025 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tips
Bring back the Flat! It was a fruitless return to the jumps for us on Friday. Montecam was moving into contention but lost all momentum when diving at the second last. Jackson Lamb didn’t cope with the drop in trip and Uncle Phil drifted like a barge and ran accordingly. We’ll try again tomorrow, Dave Stevos’ 2025 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tips are below.
1.30 Doncaster – Skill Step Handicap (Class 2)
The one that appeals at a half-decent price here is Duran for Nigel Tinkler & Faye McManamon. This 4yo has won four of his 21 starts and he is just 1lb higher than when last scoring at Haydock in May (5f, gd-fm).
He ran well back there the last twice but the run that makes him of interest here was his fast finishing second at this track over 5f on soft ground back in September. That was a class 3 but it was a class 2 in which he ran third in at Haydock on his penultimate start so he should be fine in this grade. At odds of 12/1, Duran is worth chancing each way.
2025 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: Duran e/w @ 12/1 (4 places) nap
2.05 Doncaster – Futurity Stakes (Group 1)
A pitiful turnout of just five for today’s feature race. Three of them are trained by Aidan O’Brien and they fill the top three spots in the betting. Dreadful stuff. Which one will win? I’m not too sure and to be completely honest, I don’t really care. No bet.
2025 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: No bet
2.20 Cheltenham – Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Henry de Bromhead has won the last two renewals of this so it would be no surprise to see last year’s runner up The Short Go bounce back to form, though he is 6lb higher now.
Emmett Mullins runs two here. Backmersackme carries a feather weight and will be ridden by the red hot Sean Bowen and he is around 10/1. I was tempted to go left-field and tip up his longer priced stablemate Sea Music but soon changed my mind when I checked his form figures on left-handed tracks (PUU5).
Finding an angle into this race is not easy. It is always the case at these early season meetings. So many horses lack a run and it’s a guessing game as to which returning horses will be fit.
The one I eventually came down on is Manofthepeople. A dual course winner over 3m2f, he ran a fine race when fifth in the Kim Muir at the festival in March. He followed that up with a commanding 12l win over 3m2f (good) here in April off 133 and he is just 2lb higher now.
His last two runs at Uttoxeter have been middling but he’s had a three month break and the return to this venue is a plus. Fergal O’Brien won the opener here yesterday, hopefully Manofthepeople gives us a run for our e/w money at odds of 16/1.
2025 Cheltenham & Doncaster Saturday Tip: Manofthepeople e/w @ 16/1 (5 places) nb
2.55 Cheltenham – Pertemps Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
This is another devilishly difficult puzzle. I was tempted by Surrey Quest but he’s best known as a chaser these days and Toby Lawes is probably using this as a stepping stone back towards the race in which he was runner up here last November.
The only one that makes any sort of appeal at a price is Electric Mason. He won a maiden and a novice at Fontwell last year and he also showed smart enough form at Newbury when fifth in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle.
He finished off last year with non-descript runs in the Martin Pipe here at the Festival in March and at Sandown in April and he has been off the track since. This will be his first run beyond 2m4f and given that his dam is out of a sister to Grand National Ballabriggs, I am hoping that stepping up to 3 miles might elicit some improvement.
King William Rufus ran a nice race on his seasonal reappearance here yesterday to finish fourth, hopefully Electric Mason can do something similar at odds of 22/1.
