Events / Editor / 04 August 2007 /

The flat season on turf traditionally closes with the November Handicap raceday at Doncaster, now back in business after an extensive refurbishment and 20 month closure.

A significant race in terms of betting turnover and popular with the betting public for decades, the mile-and-a-half handicap is normally run on fairly soft ground, the betting odds reflecting the fact that horses who perform best with cut in the ground normally attract the lion's share of the on and off-course bets.

It's not too unusual for odds of 20 or more to be returned about the winner, but usually the formbook stands up and in recent years the betting markets have tended to latch on to the right horse. Group Captain was the subject of some good bets when winning at 10/1 last year, when the race was run at Windsor, and 12 months earlier Come On Johnny (14/1) attracted bets at each-way odds when beating Akarem by seven lengths.

November Handicap day at Doncaster also includes three listed events. The mile-and-a-half Serlby Stakes (normally won by a handicapper verging on group class) saw the smart Alfie Flits prevail 12 months ago.

The Wentworth Stakes, run over six furlongs, is normally a hot betting event and last year saw the Richard Hannon-trained Presto Shinko only narrowly fail to defy the odds and follow up his victory in the race a year earlier. Hannon's representatives in the contest are always popular in the betting ring and often attract significant bets regardless of the odds.

The ten furlong Gillies Fillies Stakes is normally won by one of the betting principals, but last year trainer Saeed bin Suroor baffled the betting public by saddling three in the race. Lake Toya eventually defied odds of 5/1 to score, leaving many bets in the bookies satchels after stable companion Abhisheka had been the plunge betting horse, being sent off the 13/8 favourite.

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