Friday 23rd January 2026
Doncaster
We have a preview blog for Friday’s action at Doncaster, and the opening race is the 12.45, which is a Class 4 maiden hurdle that’s contested over two miles and three and a half furlongs. This looks like a decent opportunity for WEST HILL VERDE to open his account for Seamus Mullins, who’s the mount of Brian Hughes. He’s been behind several nice types within maiden company as of late, placing behind Act Of Innocence and Crystal Island at Newbury and Ascot as of late. He drops into Class 4 company here with all of his recent races coming at Class 3 level, and it would be disappointing should he not be on the premsies. The main dangers look to come in the form of Harry Fry’s Hardly Surprising and Ben Pauling’s Dig Deep.
The second race of the afternoon is the 1.15, and this is a Class 3 novices’ chase that’s set to be ridden over a distance of two miles and three furlongs. The James Owen-trained ONE BIG BANG comes into the race following a five-length victory at Southwell last month in a match race with the useful Kamsinas, and has to have a big chance if coping with the drop down in distance. Before that success, he ran well in several higher-graded contests, including when second to the progressive Wade Out at Cheltenham in November in a Listed novice chase. When over hurdles last term, he finished fifth in the Pertemps at the Cheltenham Festival last year, as well as third in a Listed handicap at the Punchestown Festival. He also beat Doddiethegreat in a Class 2 handicap hurdle at Haydock. He sets a solid standard here, and he could take some pegging back from the front. Joe Tizzard’s Western Knight would be a threat if he’s in the same form as Haydock win last time out, as well as the returning Roadlesstravelled for Jonjo & A J O’Neil, who was a Grade 2 winning novice hurdler last term.
Moving on to the third race of the day, which is the 1.45, and this is a Class 3 novice’s hurdle that’s contested over two miles and half of a furlong. Ben Pauling won this race last year with the talented Meetmebythesea, and he could hold the key to the year’s renewal with LEGAL WEAPON, who’s the mount of Ben Jones. He’s a bumper winner, who posted his best effort to date over hurdles last time out when finishing second of thirteen in a Class 3 event at Newbury last month, two lengths behind the eventual winner Kadastral. There should be more to come from him for a yard that is having a fine season, and he looks to be a solid play here on the back of that effort at Newbury. Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies have Minella Jury here, and he’s a big danger on the back of his maiden success at Uttoxeter last time out, and the same could also be said for Minstrel Knight, who also comes into the race on the back of a win, with his victory coming at Wetherby, where he got the better of smart flat performer Alsakib.
It’s back within handicap company at 2.15, with a Class 2 handicap hurdle, which is set to be ridden over a distance of two miles and three and a half furlongs. It could be worth taking a chance on the bottom-weight here, which is SMOKERINGINTHEDARK for the team of Nicky Richards and Danny McMenamin. He’s still unexposed within handicap company, and there could well be significant improvement yet to come. He was a maiden winner at Musselburgh last season when getting the better of the useful Jet To Vegas, and put a poor seasonal reappearance at Wetherby behind him when finishing second of nine behind Fasol within Class 3 company at Musselburgh last time out on New Year’s Day. He remains on the same mark for this particular assignment, and could take advantage of a low weight. Emma Lavelle’s Guard Duty and The Twiston-Davies’ Glynn Brae both look solid at the top of the betting, and are both significant dangers.
The fifth race of the afternoon is the 2.50, and more handicap hurdle action with a Class 5 event over two miles and three and a half furlongs. Neil Mullholland’s JAMAICAINE could well prove very tough to beat here under seven-pound claimer Harry Atkins. She’s won by a combined total of twelve and a half lengths in her last two outings, both of those runs coming at Hereford, and despite having a penalty here, Atkins seven-pound claim effectively offsets that. If she turns up here in the same form as she has been doing as of late at Hereford, she has to be considered as the one that they all have to beat. The Chris Grant-trained Vanilla Dancer could emerge as a chief threat, and looks on a handy mark following a third-placed effort at Catterick last time out. A mention also has to go to Somebodycometogether for Jessica Bedi and five-pound claimer Aaron Anderson; she comes into the contest having won a handicap at Catterick last month by four lengths.
The penultimate at Doncaster on Friday is the 3.25, and we’re back over the bigger obstacles here with a Class 4 handicap chase over three miles. Five runners currently go to post here, and it could pay to side with the Richard Hobson-trained KALHANDRION here, who’s set to be ridden by five-pound claimer Charlie Maggs. He wasted no time in opening his account over fences, winning on chase debut at Huntingdon back in November by two and three-quarters of a length, and followed up that success with a very solid effort at Uttoxeter on New Year’s Eve, where he finished third behind the unexposed Jacques Clouseau. He’s been nudged up just a couple of pounds by the handicapper for that run here, and there should be more to come from him. His main danger is likely to come from Jukebox d’Eddy for Tom Gretton and Brian Hughes. He comes into the race in great form having won back-to-back handicap chases.
Bringing the curtain down at Doncaster will be the 4.00, and this is a Class 4 handicap hurdle which is to be ridden over three miles and half of a furlong. This could well go to the in-form MASK OF ZORRO who represents the team of Joe Tizzard and Brendan Powell. He comes into this contest chasing a four-timer and has shown bundles of improvement since going handicapping. His most recent success came at Taunton last month, where he pulled clear of the field with the 11/10 favourite Swuare Du Roule, eventually staying on strongly to win by a shoulder. There’s every chance of further improvement over staying trips, and it’d be foolish to write him off here. Passing Pleasure also comes into the race in fine form, having won his last two starts for Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero, and a mention also has to go to The Two Harrys for Harry Derham, he makes his handicap debut here and could progress significantly.
NAP: JAMAICAINE – 2.50 Doncaster
NB: ONE BIG BANG – 1.15 Doncaster