Variety is the spice of life, and as enthralling as the 2024/25 National Hunt campaign has been, it is refreshing to see events on the level take centre stage on the Saturday afternoon TV schedule.
As ever, the Town Moor track of Doncaster raises the curtain on the latest flat turf campaign, with a cracking edition of the Lincoln Handicap serving as the centrepiece of an excellent seven-race card.
Three competitive contests from the all-weather venue of Kempton complement the quality fare from South Yorkshire as ITV racing lays on seven events for our punting pleasure. Here, we pick out our four best bets on an excellent afternoon of armchair viewing.
1:15 Doncaster – William Hill Top Price Guarantee EB F Brocklesby Stakes, Class 2, 5f
The opening Brocklesby Stakes presents a tricky puzzle. Rather than form, we must assess the pedigree and connections of the contenders. In 2025, the market has latched onto Kamakemeleon from the yard of 2024-winning trainer Dylan Cunha, and Norman’s Cay, who represents the powerful Richard Hannon/Amo Racing combo.
The market support suggests that the duo are showing plenty at home, but they don’t stand out a mile on pedigree, and we prefer to look lower down the list for an each-way punt. Justice Twice catches the eye at a big price for the Hilal Kobeissi operation and may be worth a saver, but our main bet in the race is the Alice Haynes runner, Sucking Diesel.
With two winners and two second-placed finishers from her last seven runners, Haynes has started the season on the front foot and boasts a solid record with her juveniles. Sucking Diesel, meanwhile, benefits from solid speed influences on both sides of her pedigree, in the shape of sire Aclaim and dam Sonko, who did all of her winning over the minimum distance. With many firms paying four places, odds of 10/1 make plenty of each-way appeal.
Recommended Bet: Sucking Diesel each way @ 10/1 with Betfred
2:25 Doncaster – William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes, Listed, 6f
We move up in class for our second selection in what looks like an excellent renewal of this 6f sprint affair.
Clive Cox is always a man to fear in events for the speedsters, and the money for James’s Delight may prove ominous. Successful over this trip in Listed company at Deauville in July, he looks set to go well.
However, we will continue our each-way approach to Saturday’s action, and the one to earn our vote is the Charles Hills-trained Iberian. This Lope De Vega colt posted some excellent efforts during his juvenile campaign, headlined by a Group 2 verdict over Sunway and Rosallion in the Champagne Stakes at this track. Given that promise, 2024 was something of a write-off, with Iberian producing laboured efforts in the 2000 Guineas and Prix Jean Prat. However, a wind operation and drop to this trip sparked an upturn in fortunes as he rediscovered the way to the winners’ enclosure on his final start at three. In excellent hands to forge a sprinting career, he may yet deliver on that early potential and looks well worth chancing here.
Recommended Bet: Iberian each way @ 8/1 with Betfred
3:15 Kempton – Virgin Bet Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes, Listed, 1m
Kempton keeps the Listed class ball rolling in this quality event for the fillies, with the George Boughey-trained Soprano the red-hot favourite to come home in front. A Group 3 winner on turf and second in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, she’s the one to beat if transferring that form to a synthetic surface. However, having finished only fifth on her only previous all-weather outing, she may be worth taking on.
Going in the colours of Wathnan Racing and representing the John & Thady Gosden operation, Crimson Advocate is an intriguing contender, whilst the Henry De Bromhead runner Rubies From Burma is interesting at a double-figure price.
However, the filly we are keen to side with here is the Ollie Sangster runner Shuwari. Purely on the form book, we would argue that this daughter of New Bay ought to be favourite, with the pick of her efforts seeing her master subsequent Irish 1000 Guineas winner, Fallen Angel, and go down by a half-length to Ylang Ylang in the Group 1 Fillies Mile. The fact that she doesn’t head the market is likely a result of a 533-day absence following that Newmarket contest. That is clearly a slight question, but the fact that Sangster is operating at a 33% striker rate over the past fortnight offers encouragement. If fully tuned up, Shuwari may outclass these.
Recommended Bet: Shuwari to win @ 7/2 with Betfred
3:35 Doncaster – William Hill Lincoln, Class 2, 1m
Last, but not least, we come to the feature event of the day, as a maximum field of 22 tackles the straight mile in the Lincoln Handicap.
Karl Burke looks to boast a strong hand in 2025, with two of the top three in the market hailing from his North Yorkshire yard. Thunder Run heads the betting and looks to have rock-solid claims, having landed a competitive event at York last season and finished a good fourth in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot. He would be our pick of those available at single-figure prices. However, we again prefer to take an each-way chance in a race where Betfred are paying out on the first five home.
Irish Lincoln winner Orandi and Godwinson from the yard of William Haggas make the shortlist, but the one we like best is the Simon & Ed Crisford representative Magnum Opus. On the go since January, this Invincible Spirit gelding may have a fitness edge over many of these and has been showing excellent form out in Meydan. We loved the turn of foot he displayed when bursting through a gap to score off a mark of 91, and he backed that up with a 1l second off 97 last time. Doing all his best work late that day, he runs off 96 here and is fancied to come through runners late and at least hit the frame.
Recommended Bet: Magnum Opus each way @ 14/1 with Betfred
A 50p each way Lucky 15 at the recommended prices returns £583.98 with Betfred if all four horses win and £104.48 if all four only finish in the placed positions.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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