Betfair Column
Donald has runners all over the country on Saturday, including a couple of contenders in the feature events at Chepstow.
13.50 Aintree
Agent Archie
I think he needs to find his level and this should give us a better idea as to where we stand with him. It's hard for lightly raced horses just out of their novice season and I suspect he is probably a bit high in the weights but the ground's right for him and he does go nicely at home. I suppose he ran well enough at Stratford but he is going to need to step up on that to take this.
Sud Pacifique
I think he is badly handicapped - he got hammered for winning a bad race by a long way in the summer and it's going to be a struggle for him in races like this in the short term.
14.25 Aintree
Fabalu
He seems in great nick at home but he's a funny one as he seems to need a few runs to get him going. I've never had him this far forward at this stage of the year and it's a veterans' chase on ground he likes so there are reasons to be optimistic. He's more than capable of going well if he is at his best.
16.00 Aintree
Hit The Switch
He won a couple of modest races earlier in the year but he's up in the weights and up in grade as well. I think he will stay this far - the ground was against him when he didn't get home over 2m6f at Cartmel - but this is a much stronger race than he has been running in. He's due a break soon so we thought it was worth a crack at a better race off a low weight and to see how he got on.
17.10 Aintree
Flicka Williams
I think there's some ability there - he wasn't all that far behind Brindisi Breeze on his debut - but it's all gone wrong over hurdles so far, falling at the first at Bangor and then pulling too hard at Carlisle last time. He is a very buzzy sort and although it's a bit of a cliché with these young horses, he really does need to learn his job and settle down. If we can get him settled and enjoying it, he should have a future.
15.40 Chepstow
Mulligan's Man
This is a huge step up in class for him but he isn't going to have many more races this autumn and it's a decent prize for him to have a crack at before having a break. He probably wouldn't want it too soft - if it was better ground I would be more hopeful - but this should tell us where we are with him and he is coming here race fit. He's done nothing wrong for us so far but, as I say, this is a very different test on slower ground than ideal.
16.15 Chepstow
Bourne
Look, he's in great form at home and we know he can be competitive in these races. He might just come on for the run but he's pleased me at home and this has been the target for a while. It's a shame the weights have gone up so much at the overnight stage but these things happen. He's hopefully going to be rocking up in plenty of these big handicaps over the winter and he showed what he could do at Ascot last season when everything fell into place.
13.45 Stratford
Silver Gypsy
She didn't show much at Chepstow last time but I think we will be more positive with her here and the cheekpieces might help. Paul O'Brien is cracking value for his 10lb claim but you would be hard pressed to be backing her with real confidence at the moment.
Donald has runners all over the country on Saturday, including a couple of contenders in the feature events at Chepstow.
13.50 Aintree
Agent Archie
I think he needs to find his level and this should give us a better idea as to where we stand with him. It's hard for lightly raced horses just out of their novice season and I suspect he is probably a bit high in the weights but the ground's right for him and he does go nicely at home. I suppose he ran well enough at Stratford but he is going to need to step up on that to take this.
Sud Pacifique
I think he is badly handicapped - he got hammered for winning a bad race by a long way in the summer and it's going to be a struggle for him in races like this in the short term.
14.25 Aintree
Fabalu
He seems in great nick at home but he's a funny one as he seems to need a few runs to get him going. I've never had him this far forward at this stage of the year and it's a veterans' chase on ground he likes so there are reasons to be optimistic. He's more than capable of going well if he is at his best.
16.00 Aintree
Hit The Switch
He won a couple of modest races earlier in the year but he's up in the weights and up in grade as well. I think he will stay this far - the ground was against him when he didn't get home over 2m6f at Cartmel - but this is a much stronger race than he has been running in. He's due a break soon so we thought it was worth a crack at a better race off a low weight and to see how he got on.
17.10 Aintree
Flicka Williams
I think there's some ability there - he wasn't all that far behind Brindisi Breeze on his debut - but it's all gone wrong over hurdles so far, falling at the first at Bangor and then pulling too hard at Carlisle last time. He is a very buzzy sort and although it's a bit of a cliché with these young horses, he really does need to learn his job and settle down. If we can get him settled and enjoying it, he should have a future.
15.40 Chepstow
Mulligan's Man
This is a huge step up in class for him but he isn't going to have many more races this autumn and it's a decent prize for him to have a crack at before having a break. He probably wouldn't want it too soft - if it was better ground I would be more hopeful - but this should tell us where we are with him and he is coming here race fit. He's done nothing wrong for us so far but, as I say, this is a very different test on slower ground than ideal.
16.15 Chepstow
Bourne
Look, he's in great form at home and we know he can be competitive in these races. He might just come on for the run but he's pleased me at home and this has been the target for a while. It's a shame the weights have gone up so much at the overnight stage but these things happen. He's hopefully going to be rocking up in plenty of these big handicaps over the winter and he showed what he could do at Ascot last season when everything fell into place.
13.45 Stratford
Silver Gypsy
She didn't show much at Chepstow last time but I think we will be more positive with her here and the cheekpieces might help. Paul O'Brien is cracking value for his 10lb claim but you would be hard pressed to be backing her with real confidence at the moment.
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