Andrew Balding could get the new turf season off to the best possible start by landing the Lincoln Handicap with Man Of Harlech (2.45). The five-year-old has been kept on the go through the winter, to some effect, but this looks a still better opportunity to show the improvement he has made.
He was beaten by only Bronze Angel over this course and distance in September and then ran fourth in the Cambridgeshire, looking as if he would be better suited by a slightly greater emphasis on stamina. The softer surface today will provide that and indeed it was on soft that he broke his maiden at Windsor a couple of years ago.
Man Of Harlech has eight winning siblings, a good few of whom achieved higher ratings than he has managed, but there should be more to come from him and he seemed to settle better for a first-time hood when fourth in the Easter Classic recently.
Farlow is worth considering, having won here against a big field in August before running fourth from a wide draw at Goodwood. He copes well with soft but this mile may be a shade too far.
Saturday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
2.15 Doncaster With only a 5lb penalty for his reappearance success, the unexposed Keystroke seems sure to go well.
2.30 Kempton From an in-form yard, Solar Flair has won his last two on Polytrack.
3.05 Newbury With all three wins having come in March or April Morning Reggie looks a spring horse and may build on his last-time success.
3.20 Doncaster The former French Suedois has already shown he belongs in this company and will be very hard to beat if improving at all for the move to David O’Meara’s yard.
3.40 Newbury Rene’s Girl could not give 12lb to a useful rival in a novice contest last time but she remains progressive and is on a fair mark for this handicap debut.
3.55 Doncaster Last year did not go well for Belardo, the Dewhurst winner of 2014, but his second to Solow when last seen was a fine bit of form, suggesting he remains a Group One animal when all falls right. He loves this soft ground and the conditions of this race favour him, with Custom Cut and Tupi having to give him weight. It is pleasing to see Muwaary back on the racecourse and clearly he ought to get involved on the strength of his Jersey Stakes second in 2014 but he has not been seen in public since July of that year.
4.10 Kempton Going right-handed is a question-mark for Volunteer Point, even though she won her maiden here, but her claims are hard to resist after the productive winter she has had.
4.30 Doncaster There is nothing flashy about Create A Dream’s breeding but past experience suggests there is not much point in opposing a two-year-old about whom the US trainer Wesley Ward is quite so enthusiastic.
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