Frank Hickey’s horse racing tips:
Kempton 14.05 – Secret State
Doncaster 14.25 – Harswell Duke
Doncaster 15.00 – Fast Response
Kempton 15.15 – Aztec Empire
Doncaster 15.35 – Wanees
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Kempton 14.05 – Secret State
Secret State is rated 111 and is clear of Phantom Flight at 108 and Belloccio off 108, who concedes 3lbs. He beat Deauville Legend at Royal Ascot in the King George V Stakes off a mark of 93 and that form is solid. He then followed up at Goodwood off a 7lb higher mark of 100.
He had a poor effort in a Listed race at Ascot in September when favourite when stepped up to 1m6f but he was gelded over the winter and he drops back to 10f.
Doncaster 14.25 – Harswell Duke
Arthur’s Realm has a decent chance of following up last season’s victory in this race despite being 9lb higher but I like Harswell Duke.
He won his maiden at Musselburgh as a juvenile on his third start. That was 9f on soft ground and he started in handicaps off 84. He ran well in decent handicaps at Hamilton off 80 and York off 82.
He doesn’t want fast ground, so he was given a mid-season break last season and did win at Nottingham off 78 and Leicester off 79 before a good third at Notthingham off 84 where the wide draw may just have been a little too much to overcome. He had a prep run at Newcastle two weeks ago and Jonny Peate takes off 5lbs.
Doncaster 15.00 – Fast Response
It’s obviously a concern that Karl Burke hasn’t had a winner in 42 days but Fast Response improved through the season and her form really took off when getting soft ground in the Autumn.
She won at Nottingham over 5f off 85 and followed that with a win at Doncaster on heavy ground over 5f off 88. That was a really strong handicap.
She was below par at Nottingham before bolting up in the Listed Wentworth Stakes over this course and distance when beating Tarhib and Art Power. She is by Fast Company and testing ground is ideal for her. Her record on ground officially soft or worse is 1,1,1,1,7.
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Kempton 15.15 – Aztec Empire
Bandinelli won this race last year off 95 and is only 2lb higher but he wasn’t really in the same form after that, though did run better when third here in December.
Aztec Empire won on his third start at Kempton in January over 1m4f. He was turned over on his handicap debut at Southwell off 86 but improved when stepped up to 2m at Kempton when winning easily off 85. He’s open to plenty more improvement over the 2m trip and is 2-2 at Kempton.
Doncaster 15.35 – Wanees
Wanees won at Ascot and Salisbury over 7f as a juvenile and he won the Esher Cup at Sandown on his reappearance last season off 84. He wasn’t beaten far when sixth of 30 in the Britannia before disappointing at Glorious Goodwood when he stepped up to 10f.
He beat Montassib at Haydock in September off 93 when last seen and that was good to soft ground. He is by Le Harve, so there is every chance he will appreciate the testing ground.
Frank Hickey’s horse racing tips:
Kempton 14.05 – Secret State
Doncaster 14.25 – Harswell Duke
Doncaster 15.00 – Fast Response
Kempton 15.15 – Aztec Empire
Doncaster 15.35 – Wanees
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
READ MORE
- Mick Fitzgerald’s got 14/1 and 12/1 picks for Saturday’s racing
- Matt Chapman’s slick picks for Saturday’s ITV Racing
- Rory Delargy’s Doncaster and Kempton best bets
- Jason Weaver’s wily wagers for Saturday at Doncaster and Kempton
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