Roger Teal will continue to follow the “Charyn route” with Dancing Gemini, who will head to Sandown for his next assignment.
Teal’s four-year-old contested several Group One races last season, but did not manage to get his head in front, in a similar vein to Roger Varian’s Charyn during his Classic year.
Just like Charyn, who went on to be last year’s champion miler with wins in the Lockinge, Queen Anne, Prix Jacques le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day, Dancing Gemini made his reappearance in Listed company at Doncaster and ran out a ready winner.
Sandown’s bet365 Mile on April 25 was Charyn’s springboard to success and Teal sees little reason to deviate from that.
Delighted winning connections with Dancing Gemini at Doncaster (PA)
“More than likely, if the ground is OK we will be going to Sandown,” said Teal.
“We’ll follow the Charyn route, it worked for him last year. We sort of mapped out his plan early to do it similar to Charyn. We might not mirror it fully, but certainly the first few races so that is the plan at the moment.
“The ground he got at Doncaster was just about perfect for him, he won’t mind good ground at all, he doesn’t have to have soft in the description, it was just nice to see him on nice ground where he could show his turn of foot.
“Hopefully they don’t over-water. I know we need rain, but knowing my luck it will break just before Sandown. The weather has been a bit abnormal, all last summer we were racing on soft ground, we’re probably having our summer now!”
Connections of Thunder Roar are considering an appeal against his demotion in the Spring Mile Handicap at Doncaster on Saturday.
The chestnut, who is trained by Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood, was a 25-1 chance under Tom Eaves when carrying top weight in the contest.
He crossed the line a short head in front of Darryll Holland’s 50-1 shot Pearl Eye, ridden by Jason Watson, but both riders were then called into the stewards’ room to plead their cases after interference in the final half-furlong.
The stewards reversed the placings, deeming Thunder Roar to have left Pearl Eye short of racing room and given himself the winning advantage in the process of doing so.
Coyle has consulted Rory Mac Neice on the decision, a solicitor who regularly represents racing figures in such matters, and will await his analysis of the situation before proceeding with an appeal.
“We’ve been in contact with Rory Mac Neice and if he says appeal, we’ll appeal, if he says don’t, then we won’t,” said Coyle.
“We’re leaving it up to his judgement as it’s his job and he knows more than I do, we’ve got until Friday to appeal and we spoke to him yesterday and got the videos and audio of the stewards’ (inquiry) yesterday too.
“I just thought we’d won and that was that, race over, I never thought there’d be an inquiry.
“Two horses went for the same gap and our horse was going better than the second horse at the time, when I look back at it, he was entitled to go for that gap.
“That’s race riding. We’ll leave it to Rory, the race was worth plenty of money and we feel the stakes are high enough to appeal.”
Eaves was suspended for two days for careless riding after the race and has two working days from the date of the offence to lodge an appeal against the sanction.
Godwinson pounced late to land the William Hill Lincoln in a blanket finish and give William Haggas a fifth success in the Doncaster race.
The 15-2 chance was ridden by Cieren Fallon in a field of 22 but looked to have a great deal of work to do throughout the mile contest.
Tony Martin’s Orandi hit the front inside the final furlong, attempting to create history as the first horse to win the Lincoln and the Irish Lincolnshire in the same season.
He was reeled in by George Boughey’s Oliver Show close home and just when that one looked to have done enough, Godwinson showed up.
Fallon produced his mount right on the line to win by a nose with a neck back to the third.
Cieren Fallon with his Lincoln trophy (Nigel French/PA)
“Every jockey wants to win that race and it’s a great start to the season,” said Fallon, whose father Kieren was victorious in 1993 on High Premium.
“I was quietly confident this morning that if things went our way we had a chance, his work at home had been very good.
“The race panned out perfectly, we were drawn on the wrong side but I was able to tuck in, I got a lot of cover, they went hard and with the strong headwind I was able to pick up when I wanted and he was tough.
“You have to ride him like that and with the ground drying out, it helped us.”
Godwinson just edged victory on the line (Nigel French/PA)
Haggas added: “That was a nice surprise.
“He got a great run through but he gave him a very confident ride. Fair play, that’s what he wanted to do and I thought that was a good idea.
“We thought the ground had dried up a bit too much for him but clearly not.”
Haggas is now the most successful trainer in the history of the Doncaster contest and said: “That’s our fifth time, so that’s great.
“It’s nice to win a race like that and we always try to find one. We don’t always succeed but this year we got lucky.
“I hope that bodes well for the new season, it’s a nice way to start.”
Boughey understandably thought Oliver Show had done enough.
“It looked like he’d got it, he’s run a massive race. He came back from Bahrain in great form,” said Boughey.
“He’s a progressive horse, I thought he was probably maxed out but it looks like there might be a bit left.
“I think we’ll work backwards from the Hunt Cup (at Royal Ascot).”
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Dancing Gemini impressed when strolling to an easy victory in the William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes.
Roger Teal’s four-year-old finished second in the French 2000 Guineas last year and was making his seasonal debut in the Listed contest, but he looked far from rusty under Kieran Shoemark.
Success came with little strain for the Camelot colt, who took up the lead a furlong from home and was three and three-quarter lengths ahead of Checkandchallenge at the line.
Last year’s winner Charyn went on to dominate in the mile division and Teal, who has always held his charge in the highest regard, hopes to follow suit.
“He ran so well in the French Guineas last year and he was in the Derby, because he’s bred for further – we’d never had a runner in the Derby so let him take his chance,” said Teal.
“That took an awful lot out of him though, and given that we never got to run him on his favoured ground, he never managed to win despite running well.
“I said before the race if he bolted up we’d go straight to the Lockinge. It’s funny, Charyn won this last year and he never won at three either.
“He obviously loves it here because he was very impressive here as a two-year-old, but I think nice ground is the key to him.
“We’ve got some talking to do now because there’s the Group Two at Sandown he could go to (Bet365 Mile) but he could just go straight to Newbury – and it’s local!
“We’ll keep our feet on the floor but he was incredibly impressive there. It all went to plan, I told Kieran to settle him and it couldn’t have gone any better.”
Spycatcher got his season off to a flying start when taking an eventful William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
The seasoned seven-year-old was one of two runners in the race for Karl Burke, who also had Marshman in the Listed six-furlong event.
Spycatcher was the lesser fancied of the two at 4-1, but James Doyle always rode him with confidence.
However, the complexion of the race changed with a furlong to run, when Charlie Hills’ Iberian, winner of the Champagne Stakes at the track as a two-year-old, began a powerful challenge.
“I was honestly thinking of taking him out when I got here because I didn’t think the ground would be soft enough as the ground walks quicker than it rides.
“The lads who rode in the first said it was perfectly safe ground, though, and it wouldn’t do him any harm to run.
“I said to James he’s a scratchy old mover and to ride him to finish, if he’s happy then great, but if it’s not going to happen then we know why.
“Poor old Clifford (Lee, rider of Marshman), he always seems to pick the wrong one when Spycatcher runs!
“I think we’ll have to enter him for the Group Two at York, but he’ll only run if it’s soft enough.”
Norman’s Cay lined up in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee EBF Brocklesby Stakes as the most expensive juvenile in the race and he just lived up to his billing when prevailing by a nose at Doncaster.
Richard Hannon’s colt cost big-spending Amo Racing 60,000 guineas, which for an organisation who spent millions in the last sales season, is comparatively little in the bloodstock world.
His price, coupled with hailing from the same connections who won the race in 2022 with Persian Force, saw him sent off the 3-1 favourite but David Egan looked in trouble a furlong out.
Jonathan Portman’s Son Of Sarabi, a 25-1 chance, had first run on him and looked like holding on but Norman’s Cay got up in the final stride to win by a nose.
“He’s always found things quite easy and he’s there in his coat, which a lot of mine aren’t yet, so it made sense to run him,” said Hannon.
“I loved the way he ran on, he looked beaten. Sometimes in the Brocklesby they go flat out from the stalls and fall in a heap, but it actually looked a nice race.
“He’s a nice horse, he’ll get better and he looks like he wants six (furlongs). We’ve a lot of nice two-year-olds so I don’t know where he’ll end up.
“It’s a slight problem in winning a class two that you have to go somewhere loud or carry a big penalty, but at least this was good money and worth winning.”
Retired TV presenter Robert Cooper was part of the syndicate which owns the runner-up and said: “A nose, can you believe it.
“He was unsold at the sales and cost next to nothing but Jonny (Portman, trainer) said he’d done everything right and there was no reason not to run.”
Thunder Roar was a narrowly-beaten favourite in the William Hill Bet £10 Get £10 Spring Mile Handicap last year and this time around was first past the post at 25-1, but the stewards deemed he caused enough interference to prevent Pearl Eye from winning.
The pair both went for the same gap just over a furlong out with Thunder Roar leaning into 50-1 shot Pearl Eye.
Pearl Eye (19) got the verdict off the stewards (Nigel French/PA)
As the winning distance was only a short head, the stewards’ verdict went in favour of Darryll Holland’s runner, ridden by Jason Watson.
“I’ve only seen the side on, but they both went for the same gap and the crucial thing is the distance was only a short head,” said Holland.
“If it was anything more than that, would they have thought it had cost him the race? He’s done well regardless from his low draw.
“I know he was a big price, but he ran the other day in cheekpieces and that just put him spot on. He’ll go to Chester now.”
The first three in the William Hill More Top Prices Maiden Stakes all made favourable impressions, with winner Bedouin Prince (7-4) almost going back round to Rose Hill by the time James Doyle was able to pull him up.
Bedouin Prince (left) looks a promising horse (Nigel French/PA)
Beaten on the nod on his debut in November, he was wearing a hood this time and Charlie Appleby’s colt looks another son of Ghaiyyath with a big future.
He beat The Cursor by a neck, with half a length back to Amo’s newcomer, Square Necker.
“I did a bit (of work) the other morning with him in the hood and Charlie said ‘do you want it on or off?’ and I’m glad we left it on as it’s pretty windy,” said Doyle.
“As we took the turn, the wind hit him head on and set him alight so I was a bit concerned, which meant I rode him slightly quieter than I’d planned.
“He was gutsy, there’s a few things we can tinker with but he only went down by a nose last time so he’s a talented horse, clearly.”
Sam Feilden was taken to hospital after falling from Monteria in the first division of the apprentice riders’ race, won James Owen’s Destinado (22-1).
Iberian can forge a niche for himself in the sprint division when he returns to the scene of his finest hour for the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
Charlie Hills’ four-year-old won the Champagne Stakes on Town Moor as a juvenile but after a disappointing year in 2024, the colt now tries his hand against battle-hardened speedsters after returning to winning ways at Southwell in December.
“He’s always been incredibly talented at home, but it was just a frustrating year last season,” said Richard Ryan, racing manager for Teme Valley Racing, who own Iberian alongside Ballylinch Stud.
“We feel he is probably going to revert to this trip most of this year and he is perfectly capable of doing so on his work at home.
“The surface at Southwell was just about getaway-able with and from where he came from it nearly caught him out, but we think racing up the straight on grass will be beneficial.
“He shows incredible speed at home, there’s not really any concern on that front, just obviously at this level there are very small margins and at this time of year it is tricky to know exactly how the opposition are.
“However, we’re very pleased with him, he’s looking great and we expect a decent showing.”
Karl Burke has saddled the runner-up for the past two seasons and last year’s second Marshman is joined by stablemate Spycatcher, as the Spigot Lodge yard bids to go one better.
“Fitness is a big advantage at this time of year as we know, especially on that dead ground,” said Burke.
“The plan originally was to go straight to (All-Weather Championships) Finals Day with Marshman, but there is a good three weeks between now and Finals Day.
“Spycatcher is moving really well and loves that cut in the ground, so any rain will help him.
“It was a tough decision for Cliff (Lee, jockey) and usually when he gets off Spycatcher it’s the wrong decision. It would have been hard for him to get off Marshman who has fitness on his side, but I expect Spycatcher to run a big race as well.”
Clive Cox is another to hit the crossbar in this event in recent years and he relies on James’s Delight, who progressed rapidly through the ranks last term, winning four times and beaten only a whisker when clashing with Spycatcher at Deauville.
“He’s done well over the winter, but would appreciate any rain that arrived at Doncaster,” said Cox.
“Physically he’s looking more mature again from last year and it’s nice to be getting going again after a good year last year.”
Al Shabab Storm drops back in distance making just his second appearance for Marco Botti, after finishing a close-up third over seven furlongs on his stable debut in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes.
Botti said: “I don’t think the drop back to six furlongs or running on a straight track is a concern and he’s in good order, he’s a nice horse and we’ve been happy with him.
“He carries plenty of condition, so he’ll definitely be fitter than he was on his first run for us and this has always been the plan.”
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Just under a fortnight after plundering the Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh, Tony Martin’s Orandi bids to complete a famous double in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday.
No horse has landed the two major Flat spring handicaps in the same season, although Sweet Lightning’s name is on the roll of honour for both, having struck at Doncaster in 2011 for Michael Dods and in the Irish equivalent two years later for Tommy Carmody.
The only Irish-trained winner of the Doncaster race so far has been Dermot Weld’s Saving Mercy in 1984 and Orandi will carry a 5lb penalty for his Curragh win, with Rossa Ryan booked for the ride.
Orandi lands the spoils in a thrilling conclusion to the Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire under Shane Foley for trainer Tony Martin pic.twitter.com/j7cNIhtrn7
“He seems in good form so we’ll let him go and take his chance,” said the County Meath handler.
“He did it really well at the Curragh and seems to have come out of the race well.
“I’m sure the ground will be fine and we’ve a good jockey on board, so that should help.”
Karl Burke has a couple of major contenders in ante-post favourite Thunder Run and Native Warrior.
Thunder Run (left) winning at York (Mike Egerton/PA)
Thunder Run won three times last season before finishing fourth when favourite for the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day, while the lightly-raced Native Warrior was third in the Britannia Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Burke said: “Native Warrior is working very, very well – he’s definitely stepped up for being gelded at the end of last season. He’s getting 7lb off the other horse and I don’t think there will be a lot between them.
“Thunder Run saves a fair bit for the racetrack and I think if everything stays right with him he’s at least a Group Three-type of horse, that’s the way he works, and the other fella is not far behind him.”
He added: “This has been the target for both horses really. They seem in great form, they’ve done plenty of work and their weight is good, but you never know in these big handicaps first time out, it’s always tough.
Native Warrior is one of two runners for Wathnan Racing along with Hamad Al Jehani’s Midnight Gun, with the owners’ retained rider James Doyle siding with the latter.
Richard Brown, Wathnan’s racing adviser, said of Midnight Gun: “He’s done very well over the winter. We gelded him and he has really strengthened and thickened out, which doesn’t happen to most horses when you geld them.
“James rode him in a piece of work at Chelmsford last week and was very impressed, but it wasn’t a straightforward decision for him to choose Midnight Gun, as Native Warrior won his side in the Britannia and I think James actually thought he’d won that day before looking over and realising he hadn’t.”
Trainer Charlie Hills (right) with Galeron at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)
The weights are headed by the Charlie Hills-trained Galeron, who won the Goffs Million in Ireland three years ago and was fourth in Chaldean’s 2000 Guineas the following spring.
The five-year-old has since enjoyed a spell in Australia, but returned to Hills’ Lambourn base earlier this year and the trainer said: “It’s great to have him back and we’ll see how he gets on, he should run pretty decent.
“I don’t think he’ll want extremes of ground, but anything like good to soft should suit him. A big field should suit him, too.”
Toimy Son winning at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Toimy Son won the Golden Mile at Goodwood last season before finishing third in the Cambridgeshire and sixth in the Balmoral Handicap.
“I’ve seen nothing off him to say he isn’t in the same form this year, so we’re hopeful,” said his trainer David Menuisier, who struck two years ago with Migration.
“With the help of Warren (Fentiman) claiming 5lb, if all goes according to plan he should run a good race.”
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid appears to hold all the aces in the William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes on Saturday, with both Liberty Lane and Botanical flying the flag for the Classic-winning owner.
Dry conditions in Newmarket have seen Karl Burke take in this option with the former rather than head straight to his beloved HQ for the Earl of Sefton Stakes, with the Cambridgeshire winner attempting to back up last term’s smart form and kick off the new campaign in a positive light.
Burke said: “I’d have preferred the ground to be softer for him over a mile. He stays a mile and one (furlong) well now, as he proved at the end of last year.
“I was going to go straight to Newmarket with him, but it’s so fast down there at the moment. They’ve had very little rain and the gallops are apparently very firm. If it didn’t rain in the next couple of weeks I’d be a bit sick that we’d not had this opportunity.
“I’m not going to Doncaster confident, just hopeful that he runs a nice race and comes out of it well and the ground turns up suitable for the Earl of Sefton.”
Botanical makes his second appearance for George Boughey, with last year’s John Smith’s Cup runner-up beaten only a short head on his stable bow at Goodwood. The son of Lope De Vega is one of two in the race for the Newmarket handler, alongside Chic Colombine.
“She should have won the Princess Elizabeth on Derby day, she was very unlucky, and William Buick held his hands up afterwards – just one of those unfortunate things,” said Harry Herbert of Chic Colombine’s owners Highclere Thoroughbreds.
“She looks terrific, so if wind surgery has helped then she is certainly too big a price for Saturday. We like her very much, but it’s a comeback.”
Dancing Gemini ran in the Derby last season (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Roger Teal has had this race in mind for Dancing Gemini ever since he performed with credit behind last year’s Doncaster winner Charyn in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
A Listed course winner at two, a close-up second in the French 2000 Guineas was the pick of his form last season in a year in which he also ran in the Derby and Eclipse before reverting back to a mile.
“We’ve targeted this race for a while and thought it would be a good place to start with him,” said Teal.
“It will answer a lot of questions as to whether we stick at a mile or go up in trip with him and we’ll be a bit wiser after it. It’s a competitive field, but he definitely warrants being there.
He went on: “I think the Derby took quite a lot out of him last year and it’s a race that takes its toll.
“Then in the Eclipse it was just horrible ground. Kieran (Shoemark) said two furlongs out he was cruising, but then he just hit a brick wall on the ground.
“We drew a line through the Eclipse and his run at Goodwood, and then on Champions Day (in the QEII), because he was so keen before at Goodwood Tom (Marquand) took him back and then regretted doing it.
“Tom said after the race that if he knew he would settle so well he would have gone forwards with him, but it was nice to see a strong run from him at Ascot and he’s done well over the winter.”
Point Lynas will represent Ed Bethell (Tim Goode/PA)
Richard Hannon’s Witch Hunter blew away the cobwebs at Wolverhampton recently, while Point Lynas’ participation could depend on drying conditions with Ed Bethell’s six-year-old arriving on the back of a runner-up effort in Qatar.
“He’ll run as long as the ground dries out as much as the clerk of the course is saying it will,” said Bethell.
“He’s the second highest-rated in the race and he’s a very talented horse on his day.”
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Trainer Ed Bethell expects Old Cock to give a good account of himself having crept in at the bottom of the 22-strong field for the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday.
The four-year-old won three of his five starts during his debut campaign last season, with an initial victory at Ayr followed by two triumphs at Haydock.
Bethell said: “Hopefully the ground’s not too soft and he should run a nice race, but it’s a Lincoln and they’re difficult to win.
“He’s ready to start his year off, he’s by no means fully tuned up for the day but we’re hopeful he should run a nice race if the ground is not too soft.
“I think there’s definitely more to come and we’re looking forward to getting him started.”
The Charlie Hills-trained Galeron and Jamie Osborne’s Sean head the weights on 9st 12lb, with that pair just 1lb ahead of the well-fancied Midnight Gun from Hamad Al Jehani’s yard.
Karl Burke has two major players in ante-post favourite Thunder Run and Native Warrior, with Julie Camacho’s Lattam and Tony Martin’s Irish raider Orandi also prominent in the betting, the latter having already won the Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh this season.
Seventeen juveniles have been declared for the first two-year-old race of the season, the Brocklesby Stakes, while a maximum field of 22 will go to post for the Lincoln consolation, the Spring Mile.
Likely contenders for this £75,000 contest include the prolific Myal from Steph Hollinshead’s yard, Tom Clover’s recent Southwell scorer Surrey Shadow and Bethell’s Naepoint, who won over the course and distance last summer and rounded off 2024 with back-to-back victories at Redcar.
“He’s a tenacious little horse and I hope he’ll run well, but the Spring Mile looks even more competitive than the Lincoln,” Bethell added.
“There’s plenty in there that have either run up sequences or are looking like they’re very well handicapped, so we’re just hopeful for another good run.
“He’s ready to start off and the ground is not an excuse for him, but Saturday won’t be the be-all and end-all.”
Burke’s Marshman tops nine runners declared for the Cammidge Trophy, with stablemate Spycatcher and Clive Cox’s James’s Delight two of his biggest threats.
Burke also saddles the likely favourite for the Doncaster Mile in Liberty Lane, who faces George Boughey’s Botanical and Roger Teal’s stable star Dancing Gemini among others.
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Charlie Hills’ 2023 Champagne Stakes winner Iberian returns to Doncaster on Saturday for the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes.
Having failed to see out the mile in the following year’s 2000 Guineas, the Lope De Vega colt also disappointed in the Prix Jean Prat and did not run again that season.
He returned at Southwell in December following wind surgery to narrowly get back to winning ways and Saturday sees him step back up in class and return to the scene of his finest hour.
“I think it will have done his confidence some good, it was great to see him get his head in front on the all-weather and it has been the plan to run him in the Cammidge for a while,” said Hills.
“We don’t know what the ground is going to be like yet, but we’re happy with him and it looks like the ground should be OK by the weekend so the plan is to run.
“It’s the place where he put up his best performance, so that has to be a plus.”
Hills has two entries towards the head of the weights in the William Hill Lincoln in Cicero’s Gift and Galeron, although the former also has the option of the Listed Doncaster Mile.
“At the moment we’re just holding off making a final decision, as Cicero’s would prefer some cut, so it would be nice to get a drop of rain. I think we’ll run Cicero’s in the Listed race and Galeron in the Lincoln,” said Hills.
Cicero’s Gift has always promised to be a very good horse (Zac Goodwin/PA)
“Cicero’s has been gelded now, we’ve had a very good run with him through the winter and I think he’s a pretty decent horse. I probably shouldn’t have run him on his last start, he just needs a bit of cut in the ground.
“It looks a good race for a Listed, but at this time of year it was going to be.”
Galeron was trained by Hills as a young horse to win the Goffs Million at the Curragh and finish fourth in the 2000 Guineas in 2023, but he spent last year in Australia.
“He’s been doing pretty good, he came back to us around January,” said Hills.
“It’s hard for a horse relocating from Australia and I wouldn’t have thought one has come back to the UK too many times.
“It’s great to have him back and we’ll see how he gets on, he should run pretty decent.”
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Karl Burke’s pair of Thunder Run and Native Warrior head the market for Saturday’s William Hill Lincoln after ante-post favourite Qirat was scratched ahead of the confirmation stage.
The Ralph Beckett-trained Qirat won a valuable prize at Goodwood last summer before finishing second in the Challenge Cup at Ascot and a Listed race at Nottingham. The four-year-old was well fancied for the traditional Flat season curtain-raiser at Doncaster this weekend, but will not line up on Town Moor.
Barry Mahon, racing manager for Qirat’s owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “He’s fine, he just wasn’t ready. He’s still a little bit wintry and just wasn’t forward enough, so Ralph felt we’d be better waiting a couple of weeks until he’s blossomed a bit more.
“We have no plans, we’ll wait until he tells us that he’s ready to go. There’s one of those good handicaps nearly every weekend, so we’ll slot him in when he’s right.”
Native Warrior is a leading contender for the Lincoln (David Davies/PA)
Ed Walker’s course and distance winner Harper’s Ferry is another notable absentee, as is Ed Bethell’s Cambridgeshire runner-up James McHenry.
The sponsors make Thunder Run their 5-1 Lincoln favourite, with stablemate Native Warrior considered his biggest threat at 6-1.
Thunder Run won three of his six starts last term and was last seen finishing fourth as favourite for the Balmoral Handicap on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot in October, while the lightly-raced Native Warrior could make his first appearance since being gelded.
Other leading hopes include Julie Camacho’s Lattam and Hamad Al Jehani’s Midnight Gun, who are both priced up at 10-1 with William Hill.
The weights are headed by Witch Hunter (33-1) from Richard Hannon’s yard, with 69 horses still in contention at this stage.
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/277203482-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-03-24 13:46:332025-03-24 13:46:33Burke duo head Lincoln betting after Qirat comes out
Charlie Hills is preparing his one-time Classic contender Galeron for a tilt at the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday week.
Winner of the Goffs Million at the Curragh in 2022, the son of Camacho went on to finish fourth behind Chaldean as a 150-1 shot for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket the following spring and was also fifth to Paddington in the Irish equivalent three weeks later.
Following a spell in Australia, the five-year-old returned to Hills’ Lambourn yard earlier this year and his trainer is looking forward to his planned comeback on Town Moor.
Hills said: “Galeron has obviously been out in Australia and came back to me in January time. He’s actually done really well in the last month or so and I think the plan probably is to run him in the Lincoln next weekend.
“He’s a good horse who won the Goffs Million and ran well in two Guineas. He’s been a great, fun horse, I’m delighted to have him back and hopefully there should be a nice handicap in him somewhere.”
Hills has also entered Cicero’s Gift for the Flat season’s traditional curtain-raiser. The five-year-old slightly lost his way after making a successful return from a year on the sidelines in the Coral Challenge at Sandown in July last year, but is reported to be in good form ahead of the new campaign.
“I’d just be a bit worried about the ground with Cicero’s Gift, so we’re weather watching him really. He doesn’t like the ground too soft, good spring ground would be fine. He’ll have an entry in the Listed race (Doncaster Mile) as well,” Hills added.
“He showed at Sandown last year that he can win a nice handicap off top-weight and he’s a pretty decent horse on his day. We’ve had no hiccups at all through the winter and hopefully we have a good season ahead with him.
“We’ve gelded him over the winter, not that he was colty at all but we just thought it would help.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/268986397-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-03-20 14:32:592025-03-20 14:32:59Galeron back with Hills and gearing up for Lincoln challenge
Seamus Mullins’ Moroder rolled back the years to reclaim his title in the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase at Doncaster.
The 11-year-old won the contest under James Best in 2023, striking at 18-1 and going on to finish second in the bet365 Gold Cup on his next start to wrap up his season.
His form has waxed and waned since, however, with his second-placed Cheltenham run when wearing blinkers last April his only placed effort in several runs in the meantime.
The blinkers were applied again on his return to Town Moor, where he was ridden by Best again as a 33-1 shot.
The early spring ground seemed to suit the gelding, who travelled well throughout and looked to be enjoying himself around the three-mile-two-furlong trip.
He took up the lead four fences for home and clearly was not going to be passed, holding off all challengers to come home two and three-quarter lengths ahead of 4-1 favourite The Kniphand.
“It’s a good fillip to the yard, we’ve had a bit of an in-and-out season but we’re coming back to form,” said Mullins.
“It’s just nice to come back and do it again for Besty, he loves it.
“The handicapper will have a bit of a say after today, which is fair enough, but he’d have to take his chance at Sandown again.
“We fiddled around last year and went to that race at Cheltenham and that was when he showed us that the spring ground is really what he needs, so he’ll definitely get an entry.
“This was the first bit of decent ground we could find and we made our minds up at Christmas that we’d try to come here.
“He came with plenty of petrol in the tank, we’ve dropped down the handicap but for good reason because he wasn’t running well.
“We’ve just minded our horses and ticked over and hopefully in the spring we’ll be repaid for that bit of patience.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1d01a476-4b03-4d61-825c-881cdce6683d.jpg10242048Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-03-01 16:08:262025-03-01 16:08:26Moroder returns to winning form with Grimthorpe repeat
World Of Fortunes made her journey from Ireland worthwhile with a tough success in the Livescore Bet Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster.
Liam Kenny’s chestnut has been set some tough tasks recently, finishing fourth at Grade Three level at Leopardstown just after Christmas and then sixth at the highest level there a month ago.
She stepped down to Listed company and returned to a three-mile trip in South Yorkshire, where she was ridden by Brian Hughes as the 6-5 favourite.
She has winning form over three miles from last year and her stamina showed in the latter stages of the race, where she rallied over the final handful of obstacles to prevail by two lengths.
World Of Fortunes is the usual ride of Jordan Gainford, who is sidelined at present but imparted his knowledge on how to get the best out of the mare.
“Thanks very much to him, I wouldn’t have won on her but I knew what her traits were,” said Hughes.
“He told me how to ride her and it was spot on, really. Keep her handy and happy, don’t be afraid to commit on her and she’ll stay.
“It’s all down to him, he’s back on Monday from injury and he’s got this mare to look forward to.”
Queensbury Boy made the perfect debut over obstacles when strolling home in the Livescore Bet Best Odds Daily Maiden Hurdle under owner-jockey David Maxwell.
The six-year-old, who is trained by Harry Derham, was a point-to-point winner for prior connections and fared well in bumpers when winning at the first attempt and then placing second at Punchestown in May.
He turned his attention to hurdling for the first time at Doncaster and was sent off the 4-9 favourite – odds which were justified when he made light work of 11 rivals, jumping neatly to canter home eight and a half lengths in front of the runner-up.
“I just didn’t want to mess up the tactics, Harry said to keep it very simple and just jump the last then give him a kick and he’ll go on and win,” said Maxwell.
“We were ahead a bit too soon and I had Harry ringing in my ear saying ‘I told you not to do that!’, but he was very good – he’s very straightforward and honest.
“I’m really looking forward to him over a fence, he’s a magnificent jumper.”
Maxwell was also full of praise for the atmosphere at the track, which was hosting a large amount of student racegoers via the Invades initiative.
“The atmosphere here today is something special with all these students, it’s brilliant,” he said.
“I said on the way up that if I don’t win this I’m not even going to come back in, I’ll trot straight to the station and get on a train to London!”
Anthony Honeyball’s Brookie thrived when dropping in company for the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Chase.
The gelding was one of two runners from the stable in the race, with Gabriel’s Getaway also present in the line-up under Sam Twiston-Davies.
Brookie was an 11-2 chance under Ben Godfrey and was in shallower waters than his last outing at Kempton, where he faced Sir Gino in the Grade Two Wayward Lad Chase and was third of four runners.
This time he faced eight rivals and came home a length and a quarter to the good with Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s Homme Public behind him.
“He hasn’t run badly all season and was freshened up after taking on Sir Gino last time,” said Godfrey.
“He hasn’t done a lot wrong and I knew conditions would suit today, it’s worked out very well in the end.”
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