A HORSE who had nightmare runs on his last two starts can make it third time lucky at Doncaster tomorrow evening.
The Alan Swinbank-trained gelding Ouninpohja goes for the Porcelanosa Handicap and will be a popular choice among punters to recover losses and gain his first win of the campaign.
At Beverley two outings ago, Ouninpohja was trapped on the rails entering the final furlong but flashed home in third place, beaten by less than a length after finding daylight too late.
Last time, in Carlisle's Cumberland Plate, the four-year-old was again ridden by Robert Winston. Although well placed just behind the leaders, he was faced with a wall of horses and couldn't find a way through. Repeatedly denied a clear run, he finished fifth, a really unlucky loser.
Highly regarded in the Swinbank camp, Nap selection Ouninpohja will be ridden by Dean McKeown tomorrow. A trouble-free passage should see him triumph.
In the Doncaster-racecourse.com Novice Stakes, Original Source makes plenty of appeal - provided he is on his best behaviour.
Trained by Howard Johnson, who won this six furlong race a year ago with Abraxas Antelope, Original Source won at Hamilton on his debut, but bolted before the start of last week's July Stakes at Newmarket and ruined his chance.
Reckoned by Johnson to be a high-class horse, the two-year-old can get his career back on track tomorrow if Winston can get him to the stalls at a steady pace.
Sheriff Hutton jockey Kevin Darley should enjoy a good ride from Emerald Bay in the Grolsch Handicap.
Mark Johnston's progressive three-year-old, twice a winner already this summer, ran well in defeat last time and could take some catching here if adopting his usual front-running tactics.
Winston will be among a squad of jockeys riding at Doncaster who will also be in action at Hamilton's afternoon meeting.
The York-based pilot teams-up with Sir Michael Stoute in the £15,000 Weatherbys Bank Conditions Stakes and they can take the honours with Linngari.
Twice a winner last season, Linngari started this term with a fourth-placed effort in a Derby trial and then went to Newmarket, where, after being sent off favourite, he ran poorly to finish a distant fourth on softish ground.
Given a good break since that race in May, Linngari returns to action on quicker ground tomorrow and the fact that Sir Michael is sending him all the way to Scotland suggests that a more upbeat performance is likely.
Sheriff Hutton jockey Kevin Darley has decided to appeal against the ten-day ban (July 22-31) he received from the Ayr stewards on Monday for easing down before the line when beaten by a short head into fourth place on Meaningful.
Thursday's tips:
Doncaster
6.40 American Cousin, 7.10 Fisola, 7.40 Original Source, 8.10 Ouninpohja (Nap), 8.40 Clinet, 9.10 Emerald Bay.
Hamilton
2.20 Proxenia, 2.50 Victoria Peek, 3.20 Linngari, 3.55 Mobane Flyer, 4.30 Hula Ballew, 5.00 Torrens.
Tomorrow's other race meetings are at Cartmel (afternoon, National Hunt), Epsom (evening, Flat) and Leicester (afternoon, Flat).
Updated: 13:17 Wednesday, July 13, 2005
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