Hi all,

Inside today’s main piece I’m looking at Saturday’s action on ITV for the start of the new flat season in Britain.

There’s a palpable sense of a switch of codes in the spring air at least for the next two Saturday’s. However, jump racing is poised to make a roaring return next month, to share the spotlight with the new flat season.

The curtain on the new flat season is lifted at Doncaster this weekend and it’s fair to say the Lincoln Handicap takes centre stage on Saturday. The flat may be back but it’s not exactly flat weather though with the recent mild spell being replaced by much colder weather.

This Sunday features another day of flat racing at Doncaster, alongside more flat racing across Irish Sea at Naas. Additionally, Ascot presents a noteworthy jumps card, marking the conclusion of its jumps season. There's something racing fans of either code to enjoy on Sunday.

Doncaster

Having examined Saturday's Lincoln Handicap in Wednesday's preview, I'll now provide a brief overview of the other races taking place at Doncaster.

1:20 – William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1)

Age: Four and five -year-old’s have produced 8 of the 9 winners of the race.

Draw: Stalls 1 to 4 have provided 6 of the last 9 winners of the race.

Favourites: 5 winners from 8 bets +0.27, 6 placed.

Trainers: Roger Varian with three winners is the top performing trainer numerically and he saddles the well fancied Charyn

Last year’s race was by the Pam Sly trained Astral Beau and the 5-year-old will bid for back-to-back successes.

1:50 – William Hill EBF Brocklesby Stakes (Class 2) – 5f

The first 2-year-old race of the new season. The go to trainer for this race used to Bill Turner although he hasn’t saddled the winner since 2013.

All five of Turner’s last 5 winners from 15 bets +19.00 came with juveniles returned 8/1 or shorter. The sponsors have his entry Bill The Bandit at 40/1.

The Amo Racing won the 2022 renewal and had the runner-up last year trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis and Ffrench Davis has the ante post favourite for Amo Racing in the shape of Mystical Elegance.

2:25 – William Hill Epic Boost Spring Mile Handicap (Class 2) – 1m

Age: Four and five -year-old’s have produced 8 of the 9 winners of the race. Ironically the two horses that I mentioned yesterday for the race Harswell Duke & Titian are both now 6-year-olds.  Besides Harswell Duke the Roger Fell & Sean Murrey yard also saddle Kalikapour the mount of Silvestre De Sousa and Wildfell. Thunder Roar won a handicap here (7f) on heavy ground last October and had a nice prep for this when third at Southwell 13 days ago. The 5-year-old is very effective on soft/heavy ground and Jamie Spencer is an eyecatching jockey booking. Look Back Smiling ended last season with a win in a 7f handicap here last October. He can be slowly away in his races as he was when winning here last time. However, from just 3lb higher must be considered a contender.

3:00 – William Hill Cammidge Trophy Stakes (Listed Race) – 6f

Just seven have been declared for this year’s renewal. The sponsors have previous course winner Baradar as their 9/4 favourite. Baradar was a good third in last year’s Lincoln, but he doesn’t quite get home at a mile. Marshman won first time last season and gets soft ground for the first time since winning at Chantilly last April. Charlie Hills won this in 2021 and saddles Orazio who won his first two starts last season before coming a disappointment. There doesn’t look to be much in the way of pace which means the front running Sophia's Starlight can’t be totally ruled out albeit she’s unproven on ground worse than good to soft. Orazio was a ‘cliff horse' for me last year and he would be a tentative pick.

4:10 – William Hill Epic Value Maiden Stakes – 1m 2f

Not really my sort of race but Andrew Balding has won this maiden contest twice since 2019 and saddles Wild Waves who ran well on both juvenile starts last summer. Ralph Beckett won this in 2016 saddles a couple in Aulis who shaped with promise on two starts last year and Moon Over Miami who has yet to race. Harper’s Ferry is the one of the seven runners who holds a Group 1 entry. The son of Lope De Vega was an encouraging nose 2^nd of 12 in a back-end Newmarket novice (1m). His dam won the 2013 Oaks at Epsom so he should be suited by 1m 2f as a 3-year-old.

The card concludes with two divisions of Yorkshire Future Stars apprentice series. Trainer Lucinda Russell and jockey Connor Planas combined to win both races 12 months ago. Sadly, neither will be involved in Saturday’s races. They're not races that I will be getting involved in.

Saturday Selection:

I have a feeling that this weekend will be a quiet one on the betting front. There’s plenty I like and can see them winning but aren't really value odds.

Doncaster

3:00 – Orazio.

Good luck with your Saturday bets.

John