Dunboyne Express can steam in for Racing Post Trophy
May be they should have moved the race to the Curragh for this year to save on the travelling expenses.
Irish-trained runners dominate the field and the market for the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, with Casamento and Dunboyne Express dominating and there may be little between them in the race itself.
Casamento has been making the headlines with a quick-fire three-race spell since he won his maiden at Tipperary at the end of August. He then finished a head second to Pathfork in the Group One National Stakes at the Currgah and then beat Mawaakef by four lengths in the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the same track.
Mawaakef is trained by Kevin Prendergast (pictured) and he is clearly happy to take on the market leader with Dunboyne Express, who has been off the track for the past three months but made a strong impression in two unbeaten starts.
On his debut he beat Master Of Hounds, who re-opposes here, by a short-head in a maiden at Leopardstown, with subsequent Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Roderic O’Connor another five lengths away in third. Next time out Dunboyne Express won the Group Three Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh in July, with Samuel Morse eight lengths away in second, and Samuel Morse was only five-and-a-half lengths behind Casamento in the National.
Of the outsiders Toolain could be worth a second look as some of his form ties in well with Wootton Bassett.
The two-year-old feature at Newbury is the Group Three John Smith's Horris Hill Stakes and Surrey Star, trained at Epsom by Roger Teal, can upset some of the bigger yards. Although he has not won since his maiden at Epsom in July, Surrey Star has some strong form lines. He was a length third to Native Khan in the Group Three Solario Stakes at Sandown in August, three lengths third to Titus Mills in a Listed race at Goodwood in early September and then a short-head second to Rerouted in the Group Three Somerville Stakes at Newmarket three weeks later.
In the Group Three John Smith's St Simon Stakes Godolphin’s Whispering Gallery could be the one if he can make running. It was those tactics that helped him win a Listed race at Windsor in August and he then battled on well to just lose out to Laaheb in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot four weeks ago.
There may be only six runners for the Grade Two totetentofollow Old Roan Chase at Aintree is not an easy race to solve.
It is possible to make a case out for several in this limited handicap but Tartak is receiving 15lbs from Albertas Run and 12lbs from Monet’s Garden for being beaten five-and-a-quarter and three-quarters of a length respectively at level weights in the Grade One Melling Chase over course and distance in April.
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