Horse Racing tips: Rory Delargy’s Friday fancies at Doncaster

Rory reckons he's found some value in Friday's tellybox races.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 1 year ago

Rory Delargy’s Horse Racing Tips

Doncaster 13:50 – War Rooms
Doncaster 14:25 – Inquisitively
Doncaster 15:00 – Coltrane
Doncaster 15:35 – The Goat

*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.

Doncaster 13:50 – War Rooms

First televised race on the card is the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes, in which the exciting War Rooms is taken to follow up his facile C&D debut success.

A son of Churchill, War Rooms looked a smart prospect when clearing away in the final furlong to win a soft-ground novice here seven weeks ago, beating User Amistoso by the guts of five lengths despite having been slowest into stride. That race has produced just one subsequent winner, but the time was useful, and War Rooms won in the style of a smart prospect, looking very well suited by the soft ground given his high knee action.

Doncaster 14:25 – Inquisitively

Both of the top-rated runners in the Flying Childers disappointed in Group company at York following wins on the same day at Goodwood when the ground was heavy. Big Evs and Flora of Bermuda produced almost identical times an hour apart at Goodwood, and it could be argued that the latter has a marginal edge in receipt of 3lb here, but I prefer to look elsewhere.

I am siding with Inquisitively, who was behind Big Evs in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, but a line through Purosangue, runner-up to Big Evs at Goodwood and to Inquisitively at York last time, suggests that the ex-Ollie Sangster inmate has improved markedly since Ascot. He’s unproven on softer ground, but his sire gets plenty of winners with cut, and he should cope with the going, which is drying out in any case.

It wouldn’t do to pass over Zoulu Chief without comment, however, as the nursery he won at York when we were with him has worked out well, with runner-up Starlust landing the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton on Saturday, and York third Room Service running out a commanding winner of the big Sales race at Doncaster yesterday. My one concern is that Zoulu Chief has a real daisy-cutting action and may be best on good or quicker ground, with his only defeat in nurseries coming at Goodwood when the ground was much softer.

Doncaster 15:00 – Coltrane

Coltrane is the likeliest winner of the Doncaster Cup, but the small field means the race could become messy, and the consistent Coltrane likes to have a solid pace in these staying events to bring his superior stamina into play. He’s also worse off for a narrow defeat of Trueshan in this race last year, and while the latter disappointed in the Sagaro Stakes when last seen, he could bounce back having undergone wind surgery since, and all in all, this looks a race to watch rather than bet in.

Doncaster 15:35 – The Goat

The Mallard Handicap has no such provisos, however, and Coltrane’s stablemate The Goat can return to winning ways with stamina now at a premium. A wide-margin winner on handicap debut at Goodwood, he failed to match that form in a quick-ground Melrose Stakes at York last time but was unsuited by the relative emphasis on tactical speed, and should relish taking on his elders in receipt of a generous weight-for-age allowance. The long home straight and stiff finish will also suit this strong-staying type, and he should be hard to beat against seasoned handicappers who have little to hide from the assessor.

Rory Delargy’s Horse Racing Tips

Doncaster 13:50 – War Rooms
Doncaster 14:25 – Inquisitively
Doncaster 15:00 – Coltrane
Doncaster 15:35 – The Goat

*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.

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