Kevin Blake's Saturday Racing Tips: Two bets for Doncaster's final Flat meeting of the season

Kevin Blake
05 November 2021
3:00 min read

Kev has two tips for Doncaster's last Flat meeting of the season

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After landing a winner over the jumps last week Kevin Blake returns to the Flat for one final time this season as he brings us his two tips for Doncaster on Saturday...

"The return to seven furlongs will be a help to him and he looks to be drawn in the right part of the track relative to the likeliest pace in the race. He is proven on soft ground and looks likely to run a big race."

Back Fresh win only in 13:25 Doncaster @ 9/2

Look, I get it. It's November, the jumps season burst into life last weekend, everyone is excited. However, there is little doubt in my mind that these transition periods between the codes are the trickiest times of year for punters.

So, while this column managed to strike with a good winner over jumps in Amoola Gold last week, I'm going to return my focus to the Flat one last time this year as the action at Doncaster tomorrow has some appealing prospects that warrant support.

A Fresh tip for Donny's last meeting of the season

The Virgin Bet Handicap (13:25) is a deeply-competitive contest and it has an interesting shape to it with a strong pace likely to prevail. The majority of the pace looks to be low to middle and that setup looks likely to play into the strengths of the James Fanshawe-trained Fresh in stall seven.

The four-year-old has been progressing steadily ever since entering handicaps last year, primarily over six furlongs. He has shaped for a while that a step up to seven furlongs would suit him and he went a long way to confirming that view in his first try at that trip at Ascot on his penultimate outing.

He travelled and picked up well, but was racing in the wrong part of the track, comfortably coming out on top in his much bigger group, but finishing a modest third overall. Returned to six furlongs for his latest start at Doncaster, he again shaped better than the result, not getting the clearest of runs on his way to finishing third.

The return to seven furlongs will be a help to him and he looks to be drawn in the right part of the track relative to the likeliest pace in the race. He is proven on soft ground and looks likely to run a big race.

Ainsdale looks well drawn for a big run

The other race of interest is the Virgin Bet Wentworth Stakes (14:05). It is another race that promises to be run at an above-average pace, with the likeliest pace being primarily drawn in the middle.

Of those drawn in that part of the track that are likely to be ridden with a bit of patience, the one that makes the most appeal is the Karl Burke-trained Ainsdale.

The four-year-old has been acquitting himself well without winning in stakes company all season and has shown a liking for soft ground. His penultimate start when a close fourth in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot reads well in the context of this race and he shaped there that this less testing six furlongs might suit him even better.

His latest start in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot certainly reads better than the bare result. Those drawn high seemed very inconvenienced, so he can be rated better than his mid-division finish implies.

In contrast, he looks to be drawn in the right part of the track this time and a first-time visor might well sharpen him up. It wouldn't surprise to see him go very well.

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