Saturday Racing Tips: Odeon to play a leading role in bringing the curtain down on the flat season

The final curtain of the 2014 Flat season has been slowly drawn for the past two months or so, with only one or two interesting intermissions from the mediocre - you can see where I am going with this, can't you? - but the closing credits are well and truly rolling today with the arrival of Doncaster's November Handicap at 15:35.

Yes, you've guessed it, back Odeon at odds of 26.025/1.

Subtle as a brick.

If Odeon were a film star, you would probably find him in adult offerings, such is the degree that he gets over-excited and sweats copiously when the C4 cameras start to roll.

In short, the horse gets so worked up it is a minor miracle that he has been able to show the level of form that he has this season.

He ran an excellent race when fourth in the Dante and ran a remarkable race back at York in the Voltigeur. Yes, he was beaten 10 lengths into third there, but that was a superb effort given how worked up he got on the way to the start and how free he ran in the race. He had some decent horses behind him there.

Next time out I tipped him at a massive price in the St Leger, only for him to be withdrawn when turning up at the start in an undeclared hood - that spared my blushes - and I am willing to forgive him a probable non-staying effort over 1m6f at Ascot last time.

If he behaves himself beforehand and is tractable in the race itself - and that is well odds-against, I grant you, even if the earplugs and the like are being used again - then I think a strongly-run race over 1m4f with cut in the ground (I think his action suggests he wants some dig) in this lesser grade is what he wants. And he is well drawn in seven, too.

And on raw talent alone, I have little doubt that he is much better than his current mark of 101 indicates. Indeed, his Dante fourth on good to soft ground - where I also tipped him in these columns - leaves you in little doubt of that, but it is that Voltigeur runs that means I have to give him one more chance.

Of course, he's a potential blow-out, so I have been totally led by price here. And at 25-1+ I have to be on. So you are, too.

The Channel 4 races on Doncaster are very tricky races though, so I certainly won't be going mad, especially as you don't know how much rain the course will get in the next 24 hours.

I slightly favour Spinatrix in the Wentworth Stakes at 14:25 and La Banderilla in the 15:00, but for my other small-stakes bet on the card I am going with Jamaican Bolt at odds of 10.09/1 or better in the 13:50.

He had been a very frustrating horse to follow this season prior to his win over 6f here last time, but I like the move connections have made in stepping him up to 7f for the first time in his career. Indeed, William Buick suggested trying the trip after he won on the horse last time, and stays loyal to the horse.

His style of racing certainly suggests it is worth a go, he loves it here - he has form figures of 225631 at the course despite never racing in a field with less than 15 runners - and no amount of rain would bother him. He can win off a career-high mark.

I think Farlow in first-time blinkers has chances too, but I will stick with Jamaican Bolt as my sole selection.

Over at Wincanton, I like Tempest River in the 14:05.

Now this could be a warm-up over hurdles before going chasing again, but it's a valuable prize and I think that she is well-treated off a mark of 121 in this.

She finished third in this race off a 2lb higher mark two seasons ago, and won first time up at Huntingdon last season, so we can go well when fresh. And after her jumping didn't always impress over fences I reckon this reversion to hurdles could rekindle her enthusiasm.

Back her at odds of 21.020/1 or better.

I have an inkling Rock On Ruby will outclass the opposition from a decent mark in the Elite at 15:15 and odds of 5-1+ would be very fair - one firm went up 5-4 Irving earlier this afternoon, one of the most ridiculous prices I've seen in a long while - but for my other bet on the Wincanton card, I have homed in on Creevytenant in the Badger Ales at 14:40.

This looks a ferociously competitive handicap and I couldn't put anyone off last year's winner Standing Ovation, Golden Chieftain or Benvolio - or most of these in fact - but I like Fergal O'Brien's chaser at the price.

He doesn't have many miles on the clock for a 10yo and put a poor run at Market Rasen behind him when winning over an extended 2m4f at Perth last time.

This is clearly a much deeper race and he is 5lb higher, but I was taken by that Perth win in a good time and he has won over this trip in the past.

I can see him going well from the front at big odds, and his stable is in fair nick. Back him at 26.025/1 or better.

In fact, the more I look at Rock On Ruby running off a mark of 160, reported more forward than usual after a racecourse gallop, and with his stable in red-hot form, then we have to be with him.

Back him at odds of 6.05/1 or greater.


Recommended Bets

Back Odeon at 26.025/1 in the 15:35 at Doncaster
Back Jamaican Bolt at 10.09/1 in the 13:50 at Doncaster
Back Tempest River at odds of 21.020/1 in the 14:05 at Wincanton
Back Creevytenant at odds of 26.025/1 in the 14:40 at Wincanton
Back Rock On Ruby at odds of 6.05/1 or bigger in the 15:15 at Wincanton