Tipping / Paul Jacobs / 20 October 2009 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

It's yielded three of the last eight Derby winners and looks likely to offer plenty of Classic clues for 2010. Brondesbury pulls out his current fancies ahead of Saturday's Flat racing finale at Doncaster.

The Champions meeting at Newmarket gave us the usual mix of 'end of term' shock results and performances of the highest quality, but what it lacked for the first time in many a year was an outstanding performance by a juvenile in the Dewhurst Stakes.

Beethoven's success over Fencing Master was solid if unspectacular and this relatively exposed two-year-old is unlikely to play a major role in next year's classics.

With very little strength in depth in the race it seems that the majority of classic clues for next season may well come from Saturday's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster which seems to have an entry with more quality, substance, strength in depth and more importantly potential.

And it is that last word which should appear in CAPS against the current favourite St Nicholas Abbey, currently trading at [3.7].

Aidan O'Brien's colt is a lovely physical specimen and I have been pleasantly surprised that he has been able to show such worth on the track already having left the impression that a winter under his belt will see him in vastly different light.

His success in a maiden at the Curragh was followed up in exemplary style when he eased home with plenty to spare in the Beresford Stakes from good yardstick Layali Al Andalus.

The better ground seemed to suit his raking stride pattern that day, but for a horse stoutly bred there can be no doubt that he shows an inordinate amount of speed on the bridle as well; a lethal combination at the highest level.

The galloping nature of the Town Moor track is sure to suit him down to the ground and although he has potential, no one can say with any conviction what his ceiling is. What we do know is that the best is yet to come.

BUT, the same can also be said about the likes of Elusive Pimpernel ([4.7]) and Al Zir ([5.4]).

Connections think the world of the former after his outstanding performance to land the Acomb Stakes at York.

If there is one horse in the field, apart from the favourite, crying out for a real test at this trip it has to be the son of Elusive Quality. Badly outpaced at the half mile pole that day, this athletic individual really put his head down for Eddie Ahern and fairly rattled home to beat Emerald Commander.

The form of the race is solid and at this stage, for the sake of this contest I would prefer him to Godolphin's Al Zir.

For those of you with an adventurous streak in you two bigger priced horses I have the utmost respect for are Sharaayeen ([48.0]) and Morana ([17.0]) (pictured).

Barry Hills wouldn't run the former in this race if it were to bottom him out so if the son of Singspiel were to line up we need to sit up and take notice.

Morana is arguably the most through stayer in the field as his success in the Autumn Stakes suggests, but any further rain would certainly bring him into the mix at a fair price.

Tags: Al Zir, Dewhurst Stakes, Doncaster, Elusive Pimpernel, Racing Post Trophy, St Nicholas Abbey