Portland Handicap - Doncaster 2.25
By DC Tips
DONCASTER 2.25 Portland Handicap - 5 1/2 Furlongs - Class 2 - 22 run Good (with GF in patches)
The highlight of the Doncaster card is, of course, The St.Leger but the biggest betting heat of the day is The Portland Handicap and a maximum field of 22 are set to go to post here. This is a race run over the rather unusual distance of just over 5 ½ furlongs so, whilst speed can be important, you need a horse with that extra bit of stamina to really see the full trip out well.
Doncaster is a flat, galloping track and is recognised as ‘fair’. Even so, it does seem to be a venue where course form can be very important and there are a number in here who have run well at the track in the past.
The most obvious of those is AMOMENTOFMADNESS who has run in this race on 3 occasions in the past and on each occasion has run well. In 2017, he finished 6th but would have finished a lot closer if not being badly hampered in the final furlong. Then 12 months later he made amends when making all to win this race before, last year, making another bold bid from the front, when a selection for this service, before finishing 2nd to the hugely progressive Oxted. His win in 2018 was the last time he got his head in front but that did come off a mark off 99, whilst he was second off 95 last year, and he races off just 91 here. He looks to have been laid out for this once more and showed he retains ability when a good 3rd at Goodwood at the end of July and the 2nd home that day has since come out and won a big handicap at York. He looks to be drawn near the likely early pace which should help and it will be no surprise to see punters latch on to this one and for him to go off as favourite.
Two places behind AMOMENTOFMADNESS in last year’s contest was ARECIBO. He is a horse that always promises much but very seldom delivers. He is often well-supported in the market for some of these big-field handicaps but always seems to find a way to get beat. His running style means that he often incurs some trouble in-running and is often seen finishing off races best of all. Most of his runs have been over the bare 5 furlongs and this intermediate trip, looks like it could be his optimum. He finished 4th in the aforementioned handicap at York last month before finishing 2nd at Sandown in what was, probably, unsuitably soft ground. He is 7lbs lower than 12 months ago and looks a solid contender for the each-way places once more.
A further place behind last year, in 5th, was WENTWORTH FALLS and he finished the race off stronger than anybody, closing fast at the line after being denied a clear run 2 furlongs from home. He is another whose running style means that he can be vulnerable to that occurrence. He is 4lbs higher than 12 months ago but is back on the exact same mark he ran from when a fast-finishing 3rd in the race a year earlier. His record at this track is very good, having won twice and never finished below 5th in 7 runs here. His last run here saw him win a handicap at the end of June but that was from a 5lb lower mark and he has never defied a rating this high. He is another drawn near to the likely early pace so he will get the required strong pace to aim at that he needs but it will be a question as to whether he gets the gaps in time to make his move. The drying ground is certainly in his favour and this consistent sort is another who looks a good each-way option at the current prices.
The current favourite for this race, at the time of writing, is SOLDIER’S MINUTE. He comes here on the back of a very encouraging performance in that handicap at York where he finished 2nd continuing his upward trajectory for this season. He is up just 1lb for that performance and finished ahead of Tarboosh, in 3rd, that day who, of course, won a big handicap sprint here earlier this week. He is a horse who has mainly raced over 6 furlongs in his career (and has won over 7 furlongs), so he will be staying on at the line, but the main concern is surely whether he has the necessary pace for a race like this. A strong gallop set by the leaders may bring his extra stamina into play but that will only be a factor if he has not got too far back early on.
There are quite a number in here who like to race prominently and that should ensure that there is a strong gallop on for those who want that. One such horse who likes to cut out the running is KONCHEK. From a stable that does very well with sprinters, this 4 year-old had some good form as a juvenile (running mainly in Group contests) but, then, found last season much tougher before moving into handicap company. He ran in this race last year, off a 1lb higher mark, but finished well down the field and has run the majority of his good races at the minimum trip of 5 furlongs. His draw, in stall 1, does not look ideal and, despite the presence of the excellent Adam Kirby in the saddle, I struggle to see him troubling the judge here despite some improved form this year.
Another we are likely to see racing prominently early on is JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE. He is another who ran in this race last year, finishing 10th, whilst he also finished 3rd in the race back in 2017. He does have winning form over this course-and-distance but, that aside, all of his winning form is over 5 furlongs so he may not be suited by the extra yardage here. He is now with a very well-respected yard but did finish well down the field in the York handicap last month.
Drawn next to JUSTANOTHERBOTTLE here is another prominent race and that is MERAAS. Last year’s winner was the first 3 year-old to triumph this century and MERAAS is the only representative of the classic generation this time around. He didn’t make his debut on the track until just before lockdown in March but has shown some excellent potential since the return in June. He has won two of his five starts on turf and finished a creditable 6th in The Stewards Cup last month, after leading for much of the way. His two disappointing results have both come on soft ground, which clearly doesn’t suit, so the ground conditions will be more to his liking than last time at York when, having raced exclusively at 6 furlongs, he tried 5 furlongs for the first time. This intermediate trip looks like it could suit him and Joe Fanning takes over from a 5lb claimer.
At the top of the weights is the 9 year-old DANZENO. He showed that he retains all of his old zest with a good run at Haydock last week when finishing a slightly unlucky 3rd after having been denied a clear run. He has won off higher marks than this in the past and his cause is helped by the 5lb claim of his very much in-form jockey. It is surprising that he has never lined up in this contest before and, having been supported in the market during Friday, is sure to run a very creditable race once more. He may not want the ground to dry out too much however.
One horse who will appreciate drying ground is MOUNTAIN PEAK. This 5 year-old represents Ed Walker and is the mount of Doncaster specialist Andrea Atzeni. He has ridden the horse on 4 occasions before and never finished out of the first 3, winning twice. The horse has been in good form so far this season but has climbed the handicap by 11lbs as a result. Last time out he was successful at Haydock, over 5 furlongs, where he finished ahead of ARECIBO. He is, however, 7lb worse off here and only finished ahead of that rival by just over 2 lengths. He has won over 7 furlongs in the past but most of his good form has come over the minimum trip.
One of the defeats suffered by MOUNTAIN PEAK this season came at Ascot in July when he finished 2nd behind JAWWAAL who re-opposes here. He is a horse who has form on soft ground but definitely prefers a sound surface so connections will be pleased to see the drying conditions here. That win at Ascot was his second of the season and his second for Michael Dods having switched from John Gosden last year. The form of that Ascot race is working out well and JAWWAAL won very comfortably. He has gone up 8lbs, however, since that. His first win of the campaign came at this venue, at the end of June, when he had SALUTI in behind and that took his record at this venue to a win, a 2nd and a 3rd from his 3 visits. He ran in that handicap at York last time out but performed below expectations fading tamely towards the end of the race. It could be that the handicapper has caught up with him but the extra 8lb burden would not have impacted too much at Ascot so it may just be one of those runs that connections sometimes have to put a line through. The ground may have been a little softer than ideal at York so a return to this venue on drying ground could be just what he wants.
The aforementioned SALUTI has an identical record to JAWWAAL from his 3 races at this track so course form alone dictates that he is worth a second look. Campaigned largely at 7 furlongs and, even, a mile by his previous trainer, he has attempted 5 furlongs for the first time in his career just this season and has run just 3 times over the minimum distance, winning twice and coming 3rd in that race behind JAWWAAL on his first attempt. He clearly has the necessary pace required for this race whilst his proven stamina, with wins over further, mean that this extended 5 furlong trip should be no problem. He will also enjoy drying conditions and has to be one for the short-list for a trainer who knows a thing or two about training sprinters.
Experience over course-and-distance could be key here and for that reason those who have performed well in this race in the past have to come under consideration. ARECIBO is one of those and he has often been well touted for these big handicaps. At some point, he will probably win one and, whilst I can easily see him placing in the top 5 or 6, he is too risky a proposition for me for win purposes. AMOMENTOFMADNESS is another but, at a similar price, he rates as a more solid proposition. The trainer, who has won the race twice in the past, dispenses with the usual hood, which may indicate they will attempt to ride him aggressively, and the horse is down to his lowest handicap mark in over 3 years. He’s clearly been aimed at this race again.
Another who has clearly been aimed at this and who has run well in the race in the past is WENTWORTH FALLS. He is a horse who, generally, runs well at this track and his connections will be hoping he gets a clearer run than last year when he flew home. His odds give us some each-way value with the enhanced places on offer.
In a competitive big-field handicap like this, I want to split my final stake between two as half-point ‘trackers’. The 3 year-old MERAAS already has quite a high mark, at 102, but he clearly has ability and the drying conditions and this trip may be ideal for him. He is well drawn in the middle, with plenty of pace around him, and he could make a bold bid from the front under a jockey who knows how to get the fractions right. For a second ‘tracker’ selection, I want to go with JAWWAAL who is another with decent course form. His draw may not be ideal, so his jockey will need a plan to deal with that, but the form of his win at Ascot is as good as anything in here this season.
TIPS - Wentworth Falls + A Momentofmadness TRACKERS - Jawwaal + Meraas