Early days for this race as there is still 5 days to the race- but it looks a good field. The betting so far; Sam Winner 8/1 Unioniste 8/1 Court By Surprise 10/1 Night In Milan 10/1 Mart Lane 12/1 Kruzhlinin 16/1 The Druids Nephew 16/1 Time For Rupert 16/1 Walkon 16/1 Attaglance 16/1 Baile Anrai 16/1 Gullinbursti 16/1 Harry The Viking 16/1 Our Mick 16/1 Fruity O Rooney 20/1 According To Trev 20/1 Auroras Encore 20/1 Roberto Goldback 20/1 Sam Winner looks to begoing to Newbury in 2 weeks so you can rule him out. Unioniste looks to be heading to Donny for this race, but cant be having him. Paul Nicholls has a decent record in this He must be hvaing a bigger prize in the plan and this looks like a race to get him back in to form after his fairly disappoiting run over the Irish Sea. Attaglance looks to have a chance afterhis very impressive 4th in the Paddypower but then flopped at cheltenham lto and that seems to be a worry. Which ever horse Emma Lavelle saddles cant be ruled out either. One that jumps out at me in this early stage is Fruity O'Rooney He started his season over an a very less than ideal two miles two before a respectable run at Aintree in a veteran's chase. Now he has dropped 3lbs to a mark of137; the last mark from which he won on, in April and a that is 3lbs lower than when third in this race in 2012. And Jamie had to deal with the saddle slipping over the final few fences and if it hadnt of slipped he would havefinished alot closer than the 10L 3rd he came and you never know he may have battled out the finish! Of course he is another yr older but his runs last spring suggest that he thrives at this time of the year; he clearly handles the demands of this test something that alot of thsee unexposed runners have yet to prove , he is versatile with regards to underfoot conditions and looks to have been aimed at this race as his number 1 target. His form looks absolutely rock solid.The stable having a big winner this past weekend- they are a stable on form and I can see them having another big run on the cards and @ 20/1 he is a cracking e/w price.
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/preview/600365/nicholls-keen-on-doncaster-raid Very interesting reading. I really like Our Mick, if he turns up I shall be backing him.
I quite like the look of Kruzhlinin for ths but fear he may be a gallant 5th or something. Obviously Maguire will have the choice of the McCain rides so it will be interesting to see whether he goes for my selection or Nass' (or should that be Nasses? I never know with the 's)
I sat and went through the card tonight at work and COURT BY SUPRISE kept jumping out at me its a much better animal on flatter tracks like this until Cheltenham. I'm not overly in love with the 10/1 though?! I wouldn't overlook the Skeltons horse either off a featherweight! Regards Shantystar
Will be interesting to see what the ground will be come Saturday..Looks like a deluge is forecast for Friday so at best it will be soft even with such a good draining track as this...I think Pacha Du Polder will also line up for the Nicholls team... Plenty with chances.. The Druids Nephew looks interesting too..