Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Doncaster

Leg 1 Selections: Valadero, Tees Douge, No Sinner

The Brocklesby Stakes, for two-year-olds, is a tough race to digest but Amo Racing won this last year with Persian Force and they could do so again with another prospect on their hands in the shape VALADERO, who is bred to handle under these conditions. 

He is the initial favourite and could be hard to beat, while TEES DOUGE represents the Nicholls team, who do ever-so-well with sprinters and this son of Dream Ahead could figure at big odds. 

Meanwhile, at an even bigger price, the Bill Turner-trained NO SINNER could be thereabouts if ready to go on his racecourse debut. He is very well-bred and his trainer has won this six times in the past, so this has clearly been the plan. He is the most interesting outsider in the field in leg 1. 

Leg 2 Selections: Warning Sign, Titian, Dirtyoldtown, Isla Kai

The Spring Mile is Leg 2 and WARNING SIGN could be set to outrun his odds, as he ticks a lot of the key statistics and trends. He wasn’t disgraced in a pair of one-mile handicaps Sandown and Goodwood last autumn and could have been found an easier opportunity for his seasonal reappearance.

This four-year-old showcased useful form on heavy ground when in France and shaped better than the beaten margin indicated when sixth of 10 last time. The assessor has reduced his mark two pounds plus Anna Gibson takes off seven-pounds, who is in the saddle. He isn’t one to take lightly and is overpriced. 

TITIAN has course-winning form and arrives here on the back of a good fourth at Newcastle when last spotted. He is open to further improvement on the Flat and should get a nice pace to aim at, while DIRTYOLDTOWN and top-weight ISLA KAI will handle the conditions well and also make the shortlist. 

Leg 3 Selections: Vadream, Asjad

In leg 3, we have the Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes and I am really keen on the chances of VADREAM, who has plenty in her favour. She will be in her element back over this distance under the rain-softened conditions, plus has always been thought highly of by trainer Charlie Fellowes. 

She has lots of smart form in her book, including when third in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, fifth and sixth in the last two renewals of the Champion Sprint Stakes as well as a Group 3 success. With that latest run under her belt, I think she is a standout inclusion for the Placepot, as I can’t see her out of the frame. 

I’ll also cover with ASJAD, another soft-ground lover, who went close over track and trip here last time and goes well fresh. He made a winning return last season and won a competitive soft-ground Handicap here last September. He will need luck-in running but his record on soft or worse reads 1111132, so he’s of interest.

Leg 4 Selections: Awaal, Baradar

The feature race makes up leg 4, the Lincoln Handicap, and I am quite hopeful with both picks in the race. Firstly, AWAAL, who absolutely sliced through deep ground to make a winning handicap debut at Redcar last October and is strongly fancied to emerge as a big player for connections who do well in these races. 

The handicapper has taken no chances by raising his mark nine-pounds but the forecast rain will be in his favour and this son of Lope De Vega beat last year’s Britannia Stakes winner Thesis on his only previous start over a mile. He should have a lot more to come and makes the most appeal of the shorter-odds participants. 

The other one I really like is BARADAR, who won at the first attempt for this stable at this course over seven-furlongs on heavy ground, beating the 99-rated Biggles and was third in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes over course-and-distance as a two-year-old. He has only gone up four-pounds for winning last time and remains well-treated off this revised mark. 

Leg 5 Selections: Poker Face, Imperial Fighter

Onto leg 5, the Doncaster Mile, and it is hard to knock the progress POKER FACE has made, who is unbeaten in three and deserves his chance at this level. 

He won very easily on handicap debut at Pontefract and shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the trip on his return. He could turn out to be a Group 1 horse at some point, so he could be tough to beat. 

Tacarib Bay almost earned the second vote but I think he would have had a better chance in the Lincoln and I personally believe IMPERIAL FIGHTER is just a better horse of the two even without a prep-run, which the former has. 

He was mixing with Group 1 horses as a two-year-old and was third in an Irish Guineas, which is the best form on offer. He likes soft ground and goes well fresh, so Andrew Balding’a charge is a viable alternative. 

Leg 6 Selections: Seahouses, Ribal, Astrodome

The final race in the Placepot, leg 6, is anybody’s for the taking but Ralph Beckett knows what it takes to do well in these races and debutant SEAHOUSES makes appeal on paper. He is related to several high-class performers, including Group 1 winners and has already been gelded. 

RIBAL should be winning soon, who’s shown enough after two starts and ran well at Newmarket when last seen. His trainer has a great record in the race, so there’s a good chance this son of Roaring Lion will go well, while the expensive ASTRODOME, who has an excellent family, could be above-average and this Derby entry has to be included.