Grand National runners get put to the test at Doncaster
Nine of the 12 entries in the William Hill Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster are also among the entries for the Grand National, though several of those stand little or no chance of getting a run. Monbeg Dude will certainly be in the line up at Aintree if all is well, however, and will be the centre of attention in his final prep race for the first million-pound National.
The PR people at Crabbie's, who have taken over the Grand National sponsorship, will have everything crossed that Michael Scudamore's chaser comes through this afternoon's race unscathed, thereby guaranteeing blanket media coverage of his celebrity owners, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, in the runup to Aintree.
He will do well to win, however, as a price of 5-1 from today's sponsor suggests, and *Court By Surprise (3.30)* can make the most of the 12lb he receives from Monbeg Dude. Emma Lavelle's string has been in excellent form throughout the current campaign, and she is already well past her previous best prize-money total in 16 years with a licence. Court By Surprise ran well to finish second over three miles and five furlongs at Sandown in December having travelled like the best horse in the field for much of the race, and can push his trainer even closer to her first £500,000 season here.
Newbury 2.05 *Georgian King* is approaching the twilight of his career at 11 years of age, but has had little racing in recent seasons and has looked revived by the move to Martin Keighley's stable in his two starts over timber this season. He can be forgiven his failure to show in a jumpers' bumper over two miles last time, and is still very fairly handicapped on the pick of his form.
Doncaster 2.20 Four of the seven runners were winners last time out, including Toubeera, who took a Grade Two event at this trip. She must give away weight all round as a result, however, and there could be an improver in the field to take advantage. *Mayfair Music *has something to find on the book, but competed at a fair level in bumpers and won well on her hurdling debut on good ground at Wincanton. Her obvious rivals might prefer more demanding conditions and she is worth chancing to cope with the step up in grade.
Newbury 2.40 An interesting assortment of familiar names for this veterans' event, including the popular Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers and a Festival winner in Pigeon Island. *Tullamore Dew* – the runner-up at 80-1 in the 2010 Coral Cup - might be the one to back, though. He ran well from out of the handicap at Ascot last time and is now back in more suitable company.
Doncaster 2.55 *Lidar* has not been an easy horse to train and the valuable graduation chase at Exeter in which he finished second in December was greatly diminished when Bury Parade, the odds-on favourite, refused to race. None the less, the winner that day followed up off a mark of 139 next time out, and Lidar was running with credit when the rest of Alan King's string was struggling. With the stable in much better form now, he is worth an interest off a mark of 140 with Barry Geraghty booked to ride.
Newbury 3.15 Kuda Huraa would be interesting with a run behind him as an opening mark of 123 looks perfectly fair for a horse who is a a solid mid-80s performer on the Flat and finished second in the Great Metropolitan Handicap at Epsom last spring. He may need the race today, however, and *Seventh Sky* should be a safer investment to capitalise on his steady improvement this season.
Newbury 3.50 *Elenika* has yet to add to his sole success in Great Britain, on his debut in the country in a Beginners' event at Huntingdon in November 2012. He can throw in the odd poor jump too, as he did at Fakenham last time out, but looked perfectly capable of winning off this mark when second at Ludlow in early February. Reported by guardian.co.uk 14 hours ago.
Nine of the 12 entries in the William Hill Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster are also among the entries for the Grand National, though several of those stand little or no chance of getting a run. Monbeg Dude will certainly be in the line up at Aintree if all is well, however, and will be the centre of attention in his final prep race for the first million-pound National.
The PR people at Crabbie's, who have taken over the Grand National sponsorship, will have everything crossed that Michael Scudamore's chaser comes through this afternoon's race unscathed, thereby guaranteeing blanket media coverage of his celebrity owners, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, in the runup to Aintree.
He will do well to win, however, as a price of 5-1 from today's sponsor suggests, and *Court By Surprise (3.30)* can make the most of the 12lb he receives from Monbeg Dude. Emma Lavelle's string has been in excellent form throughout the current campaign, and she is already well past her previous best prize-money total in 16 years with a licence. Court By Surprise ran well to finish second over three miles and five furlongs at Sandown in December having travelled like the best horse in the field for much of the race, and can push his trainer even closer to her first £500,000 season here.
Newbury 2.05 *Georgian King* is approaching the twilight of his career at 11 years of age, but has had little racing in recent seasons and has looked revived by the move to Martin Keighley's stable in his two starts over timber this season. He can be forgiven his failure to show in a jumpers' bumper over two miles last time, and is still very fairly handicapped on the pick of his form.
Doncaster 2.20 Four of the seven runners were winners last time out, including Toubeera, who took a Grade Two event at this trip. She must give away weight all round as a result, however, and there could be an improver in the field to take advantage. *Mayfair Music *has something to find on the book, but competed at a fair level in bumpers and won well on her hurdling debut on good ground at Wincanton. Her obvious rivals might prefer more demanding conditions and she is worth chancing to cope with the step up in grade.
Newbury 2.40 An interesting assortment of familiar names for this veterans' event, including the popular Hennessy Gold Cup winner Carruthers and a Festival winner in Pigeon Island. *Tullamore Dew* – the runner-up at 80-1 in the 2010 Coral Cup - might be the one to back, though. He ran well from out of the handicap at Ascot last time and is now back in more suitable company.
Doncaster 2.55 *Lidar* has not been an easy horse to train and the valuable graduation chase at Exeter in which he finished second in December was greatly diminished when Bury Parade, the odds-on favourite, refused to race. None the less, the winner that day followed up off a mark of 139 next time out, and Lidar was running with credit when the rest of Alan King's string was struggling. With the stable in much better form now, he is worth an interest off a mark of 140 with Barry Geraghty booked to ride.
Newbury 3.15 Kuda Huraa would be interesting with a run behind him as an opening mark of 123 looks perfectly fair for a horse who is a a solid mid-80s performer on the Flat and finished second in the Great Metropolitan Handicap at Epsom last spring. He may need the race today, however, and *Seventh Sky* should be a safer investment to capitalise on his steady improvement this season.
Newbury 3.50 *Elenika* has yet to add to his sole success in Great Britain, on his debut in the country in a Beginners' event at Huntingdon in November 2012. He can throw in the odd poor jump too, as he did at Fakenham last time out, but looked perfectly capable of winning off this mark when second at Ludlow in early February. Reported by guardian.co.uk 14 hours ago.