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1 week ago | 
racingpost.com | Richard Birch |Phill Anderson
Andrew Balding has done well with horses formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute so it’s no surprise to see bookmakers taking evasive action with Never So Brave in Chester’s feature. The lightly raced four-year-old followed up his maiden success with an easy course win over the extended seven furlongs at this venue and there were a couple of hard luck stories in his subsequent defeats last season.
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1 month ago | 
racingpost.com | Maddy Playle |Phill Anderson
Haydock still produces its fair share of course specialists, despite not providing the jumping test of old, and one who seems to have taken to the track is the Heather Main-trained Numitor, who won this last season and finished a close runner-up on his other outing over course and distance.
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1 month ago | 
racingpost.com | Phill Anderson |Liam Headd
The complexion of the All-Weather Championships Finals changed when the races were switched to handicaps in 2024 and it has helped attract a full field for the Mile for the second year running following 2023’s numerically disappointing six-runner contest. Talis Evolvere was positioned prominently throughout when causing a 33-1 upset last year and two of the Irish raiders are potential pace angles in this renewal.
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1 month ago | 
racingpost.com | Phill Anderson |Charlie Huggins
The lack of a recent run has been no barrier to success in this, with nine of the last ten winners making their seasonal returns, and Defence Minister, who hasn’t been seen since losing his unbeaten record in the Middle Park Stakes, looks like a top prospect for this campaign. This Wathnan Racing-owned colt failed to beat a rival in that course-and-distance Group 1, racing too keenly early, and, perhaps more significantly, he was encountering soft ground for the first time.
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1 month ago | 
racingpost.com | Phill Anderson |Peter Scargill
It often pays to race prominently over this course and distance, with the tight turn for home coming up fast and the ability to handle the bend is a key attribute. One with an outstanding record at this venue is Gweedore, who has four course-and-distance wins with a further four places from nine runs. However, Katie Scott’s stable star was seen only once last season (tailed off) and he’s not beaten many home in two all-weather starts this year.
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2 months ago | 
racingpost.com | Liam Headd |Phill Anderson
Catch Him Derry and Nurse Susan bid to give Dan Skelton a fourth win from the last six runnings of this handicap hurdle and get the Warwickshire-based trainer £42,000 closer to the trainers’ title. Catch Him Derry is a hold-up performer who seems reliant on coming off a strong pace, something he’s likely to get here, and he’s now 3lb better off with Jeriko Du Reponet after their Pertemps Final clash.
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2 months ago | 
racingpost.com | James Stevens |Phill Anderson
Dan Skelton has won two of the last three renewals and is doubly represented this time with Be Aware and Listentoyourheart. Harry Skelton opts for Be Aware who was a warm order for last month’s Coral Cup when beaten eight lengths. He had to endure a rough trip in rear out wide that day and is by no means not the first well-fancied, lightly raced horse to find that particular test too demanding.
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2 months ago | 
racingpost.com | Phill Anderson |Richard Birch
Up-and-coming four-year-olds have dominated the Doncaster Mile in recent years but only two from that age group go for this year’s race. Dancing Gemini went close to landing the French Guineas on last year’s seasonal reappearance before a solid sixth in the Derby (didn’t stay). There’s a suspicion he wants softer ground than what’s likely here but he has the right profile for this. The other four-year-old is Chic Colombine who is another that has a good record fresh.
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2 months ago | 
racingpost.com | Phill Anderson |Matt Rennie
With an uncertain forecast overnight and into Saturday, it is hard to gauge what conditions the field will face by 2.25. Kelso is a track that tends to favour prominent racers when thereās good in the going description, as seen when Romeo Brown made all to win this race in 2022 on good ground. Sayva will be bidding to replicate those tactics in this yearās running.
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2 months ago | 
racingpost.com | Phill Anderson |Conor Fennelly
Willie Mullins will bid to enhance his phenomenal record in the Champion Bumper with five runners declared for Wednesday’s finale. Mullins has won five of the last seven runnings, including a 1-2-3 in 2018, and in the recent years he’s failed to win the race (2019 and 2023), he’s saddled the runner-up. Therefore, assessing the main protagonists from his quintet is the obvious place to start.
