Gary Mahon must already have Another Citizen at the top of his list of favourite horses and the North Yorkshire apprentice can further enhance his association with the sprinter at Doncaster tomorrow.
Mahon is attached to the Great Habton stable of Tim Easterby, trainer of Another Citizen, who is bringing the gelding out quickly after a win at Ripon last week to contest the 32RedPoker.com Handicap.
That success was gained in the hands of Mahon, who also rode his only other winner on Another Citizen on the same course last year.
Because the latest victory was achieved in an apprentices’ event, nap selection Another Citizen does not incur a penalty tomorrow and so will run off the identical mark as at Ripon when he narrowly beat Oldjoesaid.
Another success is far from a remote possibility as Mahon bids to gain a third win on Another Citizen, who may have most to fear from Ollie Pears’ Last Sovereign, who ran a blinder to finish second at Beverley last week.
Easterby can also play a leading role in the outcome of the 32Red.com Handicap with Bollin Greta.
A useful mare on her day, she shaped well for a long way on her recent seasonal debut at Catterick, where she ran a little too freely after seeing too much daylight early on. She should be all the better with that run under her belt and could well be involved in the finish tomorrow.
Recent winners, Keep It Dark (2.00) and Takealookatmenow (2.30),trained respectively by Tony Coyle and David Nicholls, are worthy of attention, while the smart Foxtrot Jubilee (4.45), unbeaten in three starts on the all-weather, aims to strengthen his sprinting claims by switching to turf under Jim Crowley.
North Yorkhire trainer David O’Meara has a fighting chance of drawing first blood at Sandown with Smoothtalkinrascal in the bet365.com Handicap tomorrow.
A decent juvenile last year for Brian Meehan, Smoothtalkinrascal made a winning debut for new trainer O’Meara at Leicester three weeks ago.
He was raised 3lb for that success, but he looks a horse with the scope for further improvement and he should be competitive in this five-furlong dash.
The bet365 Classic Trial offers an opportunity to Al Waab to enhance his Classic claims in the hands of Tom Queally.
Trained by Sir Henry Cecil, the three-year-old was a dual-winner last season at Newmarket and was far from disgraced subsequently in Listed and Group 3 company.
He is bred to improve further now he is stepping up to middle-distances. He promises to go well.
In the £90,000 bet365 Mile, the most valuable race on the card, Farraaj has strong claims for Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni.
Winner of the Winter Derby at Lingfield, Farraaj is ultra-consistent, having won four of his eight races and never once out of the placings. He looks sure to go well in this prestigious contest.
The potentially useful Queensberry Rules (3.50) and Cruisetothelimit (5.00) – likely to have benefited from his recent creditable comeback – are two others to consider.
Racing selections
Doncaster tomorrow
1.30 Rough Rock, 2.00 Keep It Dark, 2.30 Takealookatmenow, 3.05 Disclaimer, 3.35 Khudoua, 4.10 Bollin Greta, 4.45 Foxtrot Jubilee, 5.15 Another Citizen (NAP).
Sandown tomorrow
1.40 Smoothtalkinrascal, 2.10 Red Avenger, 2.45 Farraaj, 3.15 Al Waab, 3.50 Queensberry Rules, 4.25 Cushion, 5.00 Cruise Tothelimit.
Tomorrow’s other meetings: Chepstow, Perth and Plumpton.
Today’s meetings: Beverley, Lingfield, Newcastle, Perth and Wolverhampton.
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