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DONCASTER is the setting for the final Group One of the British Flat season this weekend, the William Hill Futurity Stakes (2.40pm).
In recent years this mile contest has had a real impact on the Classics the following season, with three of the last five winners – Auguste Rodin, Mac Swiney and Kameko – all going on to win Classics either in Britain or Ireland the following season.
Whether this year’s race holds such a star is hard to ascertain and on paper it doesn’t look the strongest of renewals.
If there is a horse in the line-up with the potential to be among the best of next season’s Classic generation though, then surely it is DETAIN.
John and Thady Gosden’s son of Wootton Bassett was a good winner on his belated debut at Kempton in August, but it was last time out over the same course and distance that he really made a striking impression.
He was given a confident ride out in front by Kieran Shoemark, who was still standing high in the irons when his rivals were pushing away in behind at the top of the home straight, and when he asked Detain to quicken, the result was explosive as he powered clear to win by a yawning seven lengths at the line.
While it’s likely his opposition there weren’t up to much, he could only win as he did, and he firmly gave me the impression of being a potentially top-class colt.
Connections wouldn’t be pitching him in here if they didn’t think he was up to this level, and while soft ground would be a slight concern, the rest of the week looks dry at Doncaster and the going may even be good-to-soft come Saturday.
On that sort of surface, I can see him having too much pace for the likes of Wimbledon Hawkeye and Delacroix, who look like they would be more suited to a real slog in the mud.
For a horse that could still be anything, there’s plenty to recommend him at 6/1, and it will be disappointing if he doesn’t go close.
The Jumps is slowly getting back into gear and the return of Cheltenham, with its two-day Showcase Meeting, will definitely get the pulse racing.
Finding bets in many of the races is often tough at this time of year as you can never be quite sure how ready horses are for what is often their seasonal reappearance.
However, I think I could have unearthed an interesting ante-post bet in Saturday’s competitive 3m1f handicap chase (2.20pm) in MIDNIGHT OUR FRED.
This Irish raider has a good record around Cheltenham, finishing second on three starts at the course last season, including when a narrow runner-up in the amateur riders’ race at this meeting.
Connections look keen to land a Cheltenham winner and have got a prep run into their seven-year-old, who was a ready winner on reappearance at Gowran Park earlier this month.
He’s been given a nine-pound hike in the weights for that, but I have a feeling that could still leave him well treated off a mark of 128, carrying a featherweight of 10st 4lb.
Broadway Boy and Does He Know both have plenty of Cheltenham pedigree and are likely players, but they have to lump big weights on their respective reappearances, while Midnight Our Fred sneaks in at the bottom of the handicap and has race fitness guaranteed.
With those factors taken into consideration, John Flavin’s runner looks worth siding with at around 10/1.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Midnight Our Fred e/w 2.20pm Cheltenham
Detain e/w 2.40pm Doncaster
