Horseracing Betting Briefing: Doncaster is the pick of the racing week as Flat season comes to a close

General / Andrew Hughes / 02 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

Andrew Hughes looks back at Saturday's eye-catching performance by Kauto Star and ahead to the coming week's action across the country.

It was great to see Kauto Star back in action on Saturday. It wasn't so much that he beat a bunch of horses he was expected to beat or that he beat them with ease. Rather it was glorious to watch him loping along in his easy style and sailing over fences as though it was the simplest thing in the world. There is a school of thought that, like other precocious French breds, he could already have peaked at the age of eight. Others have suggested that the hard races at Cheltenham and Aintree would have taken their toll. But this first outing of the season was as good as anyone had dared hope. If Denman is back to his best in the New Year then the 2009 Gold Cup could be a rare vintage.

Sunday 2nd November

A mixed bag of flat and jumps today, starting in the muddy south of Ireland where Cork hold a brace of intriguing novice heats. The EBF Novice Hurdle over three miles is a decent Grade Three and worth watching for potential stars, as is the Listed Novice Chase on the same card, which seems likely to feature some good young horses from the top Irish stables.

A different code in the outskirts of Dublin with a low key but interesting meeting at Leopardstown, centred around a couple of decent Listed races and a handful of competitive handicaps. The Knockaire Stakes over seven furlongs is a chance for horses shy of Group class to grab some glory whilst the Eyrefield Stakes for two year olds has been won by an Aidan O'Brien inmate for seven of the last ten renewals.

And as well as a typically competitive Premier Nursery Handicap, a big field will go to post for the Leopardstown November, a Premier Handicap run over a stamina-draining two miles.

Over in France, at the picturesque Saint-Cloud, you can catch one of the top flat races of the season. The Criterium International is a Group One of the highest order. Confined to two year olds and run over a mile, in its relatively brief history, it has been won by the likes of Bago and Dalakhani and horses that do well here can feature in some of Europe's top middle distance races next year. You should also cast an eye over the interesting Prix Perth, solid Group Three fare for older horses run over the same sweeping mile.

Tuesday 4th November

Another staging post on the long road to Cheltenham and a familiar autumn spectacle, the Haldon Gold Cup. This Grade Two handicap over a little further than two miles takes in the dramatic undulations of the Exeter course and with the early entries including the likes of Twist Magic, Ashley Brook and Natal; a good contest is on the cards.

Wednesday 5th November

We're deep into All Weather racing territory and what better way to spend Bonfire night than at Kempton where the Listed Floodlit Stakes over twelve furlongs has attracted a small field of entries from some good stables and should be a keenly fought event under the lights.

Saturday 8th November

The last day of the turf flat season sees the traditional closing meeting at Doncaster and features the final big betting heat of the season, the famous November Handicap, a big field slog through the mud over a mile and a half. And it's also worth checking out the two Listed races on the card; the competitive six furlong dash of the Wentworth Stake and the ten and a half furlongs of the Gillies Stakes, a race confined to fillies.

Proper National Hunt action at Wincanton with the best day's British jumping of the autumn so far. The Badger Ales Chase is an old favourite, a Listed Handicap over three miles and a furlong that attracts some decent chasers. There is also the spectacle of the Elite Hurdle, a classy two mile race for hurdling speedsters and the Rising Stars Novices Chase, which can attract some interesting novices from the powerful West Country yards.