The finale of the flat season is upon us, as is the first Cheltenham meeting of the year.
It seems the jumps season is finally well underway, and there’s so much to look forward to as the weather changes.
Before we turn our attention solely to the jumps however, there is much to enjoy on the flat at Doncaster on Saturday, as well as some impressive entries at Saint-Cloud.
And, of course, we have the spectacle that is the Breeders’ Cup to look forward to in a couple of weeks.
Here, we preview the Futurity Trophy Stakes in detail, before looking across the courses at other races and horses that have caught our attention.
We also provide our selections, and wish you all the luck with your bets this weekend.
Remember to gamble responsibly.
(All prices are correct at time of writing)
Firstly, we’ll head to Doncaster and provide our detailed insight into the Futurity Trophy Stakes at 3:15, where Ballydoyle’s Luxembourg heads the market ahead of this year’s renewal.
Aidan O’Brien’s two-year-old colt, son of Camelot, is unbeaten in two racecourse starts over a mile and will look to emulate his sire who won the race in 2011.
He is joint favourite generally with bookmakers for next year’s Epsom Derby at around 8/1, a price that is sure to shorten if able to win convincingly here.
He won well on debut at Killarney, before beating four rivals comfortably in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.
O’Brien has won the race on nine occasions prior to Saturday’s renewal and will aim to equal Sir Henry Cecil’s record of ten victories.
The trainer is yet to win a European Group 1 in 2021 with a juvenile colt, and the pressure will be on for Luxembourg to deliver.
Seven colts are set to rival odds-on favourite Luxembourg, and Mark Johnston’s Royal Patronage is currently second favourite with bookmakers.
The progressive colt, by Wootton Bassett, will be looking for his fourth successive win. having won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes last time out.
Royal Patronage finished fifth on debut over 6f on soft, before finishing four-lengths behind Native Trail, who looks to be a potential star for next season, on reappearance in June.
At Newmarket on his last outing, he marginally beat the mightily impressive Coroebus who won the Autumn Stakes at the track earlier this month beating Imperial Fighter, who runs here, by two lengths.
In his win prior to the Royal Lodge Stakes, Royal Patronage himself beat Imperial Fighter in the Acomb Stakes as the outsider of the field.
He’ll have to defy the odds once again here, as the market is heavily in favour of Irish raider Luxembourg, but Royal Patronage is generally a 7/2 shot to land his first Group 1 and is the more fancied alternative to the market leader.
Bayside Boy steps up to a mile for the first time following a third-placed finish in the Dewhurst Stakes behind winner Native Trail and Dubawi Legend.
Roger Varian’s colt was far from disgraced in his first Group 1 appearance at Newmarket, and after a slow start from the stalls he finished strongly coming from the rear of the field and staying on well.
He is a Group 2 winner, having already tasted success at Doncaster this season in the Champagne Stakes, beating Reach For The Moon by a head.
The aforementioned Imperial Fighter represents the Andrew Balding stable and will be ridden by David Probert for the first time.
He has finished second in his two runs since debut win at Goodwood in a Class 2 maiden race.
On that occasion he beat Ring Of Beara who finished second and who has failed to fire after stepping up in class most recently.
Tartan Chief also finished behind Imperial Fighter there, and he has won twice since but in lower class handicaps.
Imperial Fighter has much to do to reverse form with Royal Patronage here, and even more to do to beat the favourite if the market is right, but could have each-way claims if able to show improvement and if others fail to fire.
Sissoko is another Irish raider and will run for Donnacha O’Brien.
His only two runs have come in the last month, as he made his debut at the Curragh in late September, finishing in sixth.
Excuses can be made for that run however, as the son of Australia was held up in the rear and perhaps was too far back to mount a challenge in the closing stages.
On second start last week, again at the Curragh, he was first out of the stalls and chased the leader before showing an impressive turn of foot and winning emphatically in an eye-catching performance.
It’s also worth noting that it was on a softer surface, yielding, and the ground prediction for Saturday is soft, however it was over a longer distance of 1m1f.
Sissoko could be in with a chance of place money, if able to show that acceleration over a shorter trip, and his last run is sure to attract some backers at a decent price of 10/1.
Mctigue will run for Jim Bolger and is one of the outsiders at 33/1.
He hasn’t been seen since winning a maiden at Leopardstown over a mile on yielding ground in August.
Mctigue was a beaten fourth on debut, finishing behind third-placed Duke De Sessa who then ran in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes finishing ten-and-a-half-lengths behind winner Native Trail.
If this form line adds up, it seems highly unlikely that Mctigue will feature here.
50/1 shot Hannibal Barca runs for Brian Meehan, and will step up to a mile for the first time.
On debut he finished third in a Class 4 novice race before winning last time out over 7f on soft ground at Salisbury.
The son of Zoffany is proven on a softer surface and is likely to enjoy the longer distance.
Outsider of the field is Bullet Force, who is currently priced at 100/1.
He will be making his sixth racecourse start, having finished in the top three in all of his races to date.
He won his maiden at Musselburgh in August, and has finished third in two nursery handicaps since.
At Doncaster last month he finished four lengths behind the winner, Godolphin’s Modern Games, who subsequently went on to win a Group 3 at Newmarket.
Our selection: 8. Sissoko 10/1 (EW) – in a race that is difficult to predict, and with the favourite an odds-on shot, we select a horse that looks to be a staying prospect for next season, and one that impressed us with his turn of foot and galloping ability on his last appearance.
Another bet to consider is a Combination Tricast (5-7-8) as we predict the top three to be:
- 5. Luxembourg
- 7. Royal Patronage
- 8. Sissoko
Of the other races at Doncaster, an interesting runner caught our eye in the 2:05 Class 3 Handicap over 7f.
Hafeet Alain makes his debut for Ed Walker following three disappointing runs for Hong Kong based trainer Douglas Whyte in 2020.
Prior to his overseas exploits, the gelding was in good form in Britain, winning his last two British outings in competitive soft-ground handicaps, over 7f and 8f respectively.
He hasn’t been seen here since 2019, and it’s difficult to predict whether or not he’s able to return to his previous form, but he has won at Doncaster before, and is a big price at 25/1.
Fools Rush In finished a neck behind Zip on last outing, giving 7lbs to his elder rival.
He has won on heavy ground, so the predicted softer surface shouldn’t be a problem, but the ground might just favour the aforementioned Zip.
The grey seems to love soft ground and is a course and distance winner.
At a lower weight, and with 3lb claimer Billy Garritty on board, Zip seems an excellent each-way selection at 10/1.
Cold Stare is another capable of a placed finish at a bigger price of 14/1, having won twice and finished second on last three outings before the disappointing run at Haydock last time out.
Our selection: 9. Zip 10/1 (EW) – we expect the five-year-old to have the edge here, in his favoured conditions, carrying a lower weight, he is likely to be there or thereabouts.
At Newbury, in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at 2:00, Noble Truth leads the market for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby.
The colt has enjoyed a decent season so far, and was last seen finishing second to Angel Bleu in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day.
That run was on heavy ground, therefore there should be no concerns regarding the surface and he looks the class of the race.
However, there are some unexposed and inexperienced types lining up, which makes it a fascinating race.
The second favourite, Light Infantry, has only made one racecourse start, winning by a six-and-a-half-length margin on debut at Yarmouth last month.
12/1 shot Tacarib Bay is another who comes into the race after only having one run, winning his maiden in a Class 4 at Haydock in May on soft ground.
It’s a shame Andrew Balding’s Hoo Ya Mal is a non-runner, as he finished a close second to Noble Truth on last outing at Doncaster.
Our selection: 6. Noble Truth 11/10 – it’s difficult to see anyone getting close to the favourite here, and we expect this colt to be another Godolphin juvenile to look out for next season.
It could be a quick double for Godolphin and Appleby, as Siskany is odds-on favorite for the St Simon Stakes that follows.
Noble Truth & Siskany double odds: 3.01/1
Across the English channel, Saint-Cloud hosts some high-class races including two Group 1 races for juveniles.
The Criterium International comes at 12:58 (BST), and recent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Angel Bleu returns to France to compete.
The Ralph Beckett colt, by Dark Angel, will once again be ridden by Frankie Dettori and is sure to be there or thereabouts once again, however he is yet to race over a mile.
Ancient Rome will attempt to reverse form with Angel Bleu, following a third placed finish behind him at Longchamp, over the 7f trip.
The step back up in trip here will suit the War Front colt, who will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona for André Fabre.
Aidan O’Brien has two runners in the race; Aikhal and Glounthaune.
Aikhal, son of Galileo, has one win from his first three starts, and finished fourth last time out at Newmarket in the Autumn Stakes won by Coroebus.
Glounthaune is by Kodiac, and has won two out of three so far, including a Group 3 at Leopardstown last week.
He finished sixth in the Dewhurst Stakes earlier this month.
Oscula is George Boughey’s hope, and William Buick takes the ride.
She has already raced in France on three occasions, but it will be the first time he lines up at Saint-Cloud.
In her nine racecourse appearances, she has only finished outside the top three on one occasion, and is a consistent type.
She will receive the fillies allowance, as well as Cedric Rossi’s Purplepay who will be bidding for a hat-trick of wins.
Purplepay is proven over a longer trip, having raced over a mile twice and once over 1m1f, but she faces tough competition here.
Toimy Son finished second over a mile in a Listed race at Lyon Parilly last time out, but could only manage eight in the Group 1 Prix Morny in August over the shorter distance of 6f.
Our selection: 5. Ancient Rome 7/4 – we were impressed with his performance in defeat on Arc day, and believe he could have been closer at the finish if given a clearer trip around.
He is currently favourite with bookmakers to get his own back on Angel Bleu, and we believe he might just do it.
Goldspur heads the market at 6/4 in the 1:33 (BST) Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
He was last seen beating Unconquerable at Newmarket, following an impressive debut win at Sandown.
After his Sandown win, he was entered at Epsom where he refused to enter the stalls.
However, there were no concerns on his last outing, as the Dubawi colt beat stablemate Hafit as well as Donnacha O’Brien’s Churchill colt to win the Zetland Stakes.
André Fabre’s Martel splits Goldspur and Unconquerable in the market, at current odds of 5/1.
The son of Frankel is two from two so far, and both races came on testing ground.
He steps up to 1m2f here, as does stablemate Dreamflight, who is also by Frankel.
Unconquerable finished well in the Royal Lodge Stakes, but was never near the top two in Royal Patronage and Coroebus.
He was impressive as close second to Goldspur recently, and has looked to be improving.
Aidan O’Brien is represented by Galileo colt Stone Age, who is yet to win.
He will likely benefit from the longer trip, as he didn’t have the speed over 7f in conditions in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, but looked to stay on well.
Our selection: 3. Stone Age 12/1 (EW) – at a nice price this colt is difficult to ignore stepping up in trip for master trainer Aidan O’Brien.
He has looked to be a staying type, as mentioned, and is a son of the great Galileo.
More British interest at Saint-Cloud:
2:50 – 3. Century Dream 3/1
5. Brentford Hope 8/1
3:25 – 7. Quenelle D’or 10/3
6. Sherbet Lemon 25/1
4:00 – 2. Angel Power 9/4
Sticking with the flat, we take a look at some races on a fascinating card at Leopardstown, which features a number of juveniles, many unraced, from Ireland’s top stables.
However, the race we’re focusing on is the Knockaire Stakes at 3:25, a Listed race for horses aged three or over.
The favourite is Masen, bred and owned by Juddmonte, trained by Ger Lyons and ridden by Colin Keane.
The three-year-old gelding is by Kingman, and has been generally consistent since making debut in July 2020, bar a disappointing run in last year’s Vincent O’Brien National Stakes.
He won a handicap here last time out, and is likely to feature at the finish once again.
Jessica Harrington’s Njord returns to Ireland following two runs in which he failed to fire or compete.
He was seen at Longchamp in the Prix de la Foret earlier this month, before going to Newmarket for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes last Saturday.
In both races, Njord was running against some of the highest-rated horses in the world, and will surely be closer in this Listed affair.
Snapraeterea, for Joseph O’Brien, has been somewhat inconsistent this term, but did win well over this trip in the Platinum Stakes at Cork in August.
Carrytheone, Laughifuwant and Casanova aren’t without chances, whilst San Andreas finished second to the market leader in a handicap last month and could mount a challenge at a decent price.
Our selection: 18. Royal Blend 25/1 (EW – 4 places) – outsider of Joseph O’Brien’s trio, the Zoffany filly is a long-shot, but could progress to challenge for the places here.
Turning away from the flat, we look forward to the second day of The Showcase meeting at Cheltenham.
The card opens with a Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, before Cloth Cap returns to track for the first time since being pulled up in the Grand National and following wind-surgery.
He is the top-weight in the 2:20 Class 2 Handicap Chase over 3m1f on what is expected to be good ground, and is currently a 7/1 shot.
Storm Control is the market leader, and is a course and distance winner.
In the 2:55 over hurdles, Tritonic is the 11/10 favourite, having been odds-on.
Stepney Causeway is his closest rival in this four runner race, and makes his seasonal debut having finished last season in excellent form winning his final four starts.
Sky Pirate and Before Midnight lead the betting in the 3:30 Class 2 Handicap Chase, before another Handicap Hurdle, a Novices’ Chase and a bumper to end the card and the first Cheltenham meetings of the new season.
At Kelso, the late Trevor Hemmings colours will again be poignantly worn aboard Cheltenham Festival winner Vintage Clouds in the 3:19, whilst thirteen-year-old Duke Of Navan will look for his first win since January 2018 in the 4:29.
Over in Ireland, there’s plenty of action at Galway for jumps lovers, including the 3:37 Handicap Hurdle that features the Grand National runner-up Balko Des Flos who will pair up with Rachael Blackmore as she returns to action after having surgery in July following her fall at Killarney.
Buck Rogers is the market leader, whilst Jiving Jerry, Coventry, Discorama and regular The Conditional selection The Little Yank also run.
KM
THE CONDITIONAL 