Saturday preview: Ross Millar provides a race-by-race guide for Doncaster's undercard

The flat season is here courtesy of the SBK-sponsored Lincoln meeting, which features eight races run on the turf at Doncaster.  

Our horse racing writer Ross Millar has provided a race-by-race guide for the undercard at Saturday's featured meeting.

1.15 Doncaster, 5f SBK Brocklesby Conditions Stakes

The Richard Hannon-trained Persian Force has been installed as a short-price favourite for this year’s edition of the Brocklesby and it’s easy to see why. 

His full-brother, Gubbass, won on his two-year-old debut in April last year and showed that this pedigree cross can throw a fast and early type.

However, I’m going to chance Kiss N Cuddle at a bigger price. Hailing from David Evans’ Abergavenny yard, this son of Clodovil has a likeable pedigree and is bred to be precocious. His half-brother Jungle Inthebungle won on debut early in his two-year-old campaign, while another relative, Russelinthebushes, was only narrowly denied on his first start.

Also consider Blatant, who represents last year's winning connections. His dam was unraced and is therefore hard to assess, but he is one of the oldest in the field (February foal) and that is often an advantage.

Whoever you fancy, I would advise that you study them carefully in the paddock and on the way to post as the occasion will be too much for some of these inexperienced types.

Selection: Kiss N Cuddle @ 15

1.50 Doncaster, 6f SBK Cammidge Trophy Stakes

This is a considerably easier contest than the Group 1 Spring Cup and Group 2 Challenge Stakes that Garrus contested at the backend of last season. He had shown a good level of form prior to those efforts, but he has only won two of his nine starts and he’s not certain to improve.

Preference is for Diligent Harry, a four-year-old who is open to more improvement than his aforementioned rival. Once you factor in that only two of his seven career starts have come on turf, it’s reasonable to expect notable progression.

Clive Cox excels with sprinters and, on likely good ground, I’d be hopeful this son of Due Diligence can prove himself to be considerably better than what we saw on his last start at Ascot.

Selection: Diligent Harry @ 3.45

2.25 Doncaster, 1m SBK Spring Mile Handicap

Only nine head to post for this consolation race for the Lincoln, which comes later on the card (3.35). Empirestateofmind has solid form to his name and finished last season with a fine runner-up effort behind Mujtaba, who is strongly fancied for the Lincoln itself, at Redcar over a mile.

John Quinn’s charge was hit with numerous penalties last season and is now 20lb higher than his when his winning run began. Although further improvement is possible, it’s certainly not guaranteed. Given he’s a relatively short price, I decided to look elsewhere.

Mostawaa finished third in a much deeper edition of this race last year. That effort was his seasonal high and it was disappointing to see his form tail off somewhat, but the upside of that slump is that he returns here off a mark of 83, 5lb below his mark 12 months ago.

He was given a winter break before he returned at Kempton last month and, if that run has brought him forward, he has a live chance in a contest that lacks strength in depth.

Selection: Mostawaa @ 7.4

3.00 Doncaster, 1m SBK Doncaster Mile Stakes

It’s hard to see past Chindit in this race as he’s 8lb clear on the ratings and is therefore well favoured by the conditions of this race. He hasn’t won since his Newbury reappearance last season, but he has been contesting Group contests and has run with credit on each occasion.

This is a straightforward assignment and connections will be distraught if he doesn’t win.

Selection: Chindit @ 1.73

4.10 Doncaster, 1m2f SBK Betting Podcast Maiden Stakes

This is another race with little form on offer. Newcomer Almuhit is a full-brother to Group 1-winner Taghrooda, who was also trained by John Gosden. He’s bound to prove popular and could well be a cut above these.

Of those with form to their name it’s Groundbreaker who interests me the most. He looked mentally immature as a two-year-old - he became upset in the stalls before being withdrawn on debut and then hung on his two starts at Kempton.

He’s now fitted with a hood and if that, combined with his previous experience, can see him race more maturely he might take a step forward now that he is upped in trip.

Selection: Groundbreaker @ SP

4.46 Doncaster, 1m2f SBK Apprentice Handicap

Rebecca Menzies continues to have her dual-purpose string in fine order. While many are aware of her talents as a trainer, I feel that she still flies slightly under the radar.

She runs Love Your Work in this and he has a very interesting profile. He’s improved 17lb from a mark of 60 to 77 on the all-weather since being transferred to Menzies from Stef Keniry, yet here he can race off a mark of just 63. 

It might well be that he’s simply a better horse on the all-weather than he is on turf, but with top apprentice Adam Farragher booked, I’m prepared to believe that he’s simply an improved horse since his stable switch. If that’s the case he’ll take plenty of beating.

Selection: Love Your Work @ SP

5.16 Doncaster, 1m2f SBK Apprentice Handicap

Dynakite has a similar profile to Love Your Work, in that he too has shown improved form for a recent stable switch and is yet unraced on the turf for new connections. Since moving to Robyn Brisland he’s won two of his five starts and has risen 14lb to a mark of 70.

For his previous connections he had shown a liking for a sound surface, so the recent spell of good weather plays to his advantage. He will race off a mark of 66 in the Doncaster finale with Harry Davies’ tremendous value for a further 5lb against fellow apprentices.

Selection: Dynakite @ SP

Recommended bets

Kiss N Cuddle (1.15 Doncaster) @ 15
Diligent Harry (1.50 Doncaster) @ 3.45
Mostawaa (2.25 Doncaster) @ 7.4
Chindit (3.00 Doncaster) @ 1.73
Groundbreaker (4.10 Doncaster) @ SP
Love Your Work (4.46 Doncaster) @ SP
Dynakite (5.16 Doncaster) @ SP