Clearly I was tempting fate by hoping for a favourable draw for my ante-post selections in the November Handicap! Communicator has been drawn in stall 17 with Conduct even further out in stall 21. A quick delve into the history books reveals that a high draw isn’t necessarily fatal with nine of the past eleven winners being drawn in double-figure stalls. Even so, my confidence has certainly taken a knock for tomorrow’s race. The gamble of the race is a horse called Rhombus. I can’t see it winning myself but good luck to whoever is behind the midweek plunge.
Sprint handicaps at the end of the season are notoriously difficult but Eton Rifles arrives at Doncaster fresher than most. He won the Wentworth Stakes last year and bids for a repeat on his favoured soft ground. He was just denied by Steps in a handicap at Ascot last month after looking the likely winner with a furlong to travel. He stays seven furlongs so should certainly be staying on at the finish. I take him at 6-1 to get the better of the consistent Highland Colori and Jack Dexter.
The jumping season is getting into top gear now and grabbed the spotlight with McCoy’s 4000th winner this week. The action moves on to Wincanton tomorrow and Paul Nicholls introduces two horses that I’ve very much been looking forward to seeing.
Far West went into the Triumph Hurdle as one of the favourites but was left trailing by Our Conor’s extraordinary performance. Time will tell whether Our Conor is exceptional or whether it was a weak renewal of the juvenile championship. The Paul Nicholls-trained four-year-old looked a bit short of a change of gear at times last season and will presumably be up with the pace tomorrow. Melodic Rendezvous is the obvious danger but he is returning after suffering an injury that ruled him out of Cheltenham and Aintree and may just be a bit ring rusty.
My nap of the day is stable companion Wonderful Charm who looks a possible RSA Chase prospect. Nicholls thought enough of the gelding to run him in the World Hurdle last March but he has always had chasing in mind. He didn’t put a foot wrong on his debut and can chalk up a second victory at the expense of Alan King’s Meister Eckhart.
(Doncaster) 2.25 Eton Rifles 6-1 Bet Victor
(Wincanton) 2.05 Far West 7-2 Ladbrokes
(Wincanton) 3.15 Wonderful Charm 7-4 William Hill
