Racing
Saturday’s big race takes place at Doncaster. The Blue Square Handicap Chase is hoping to be Kalahari Kings stepping stone to next months Queen Mother Champion Chase but he has top weight and a nine month lay off to overcome. Favouritism rests with Paul Nicholls’ Free World, who is also putting his Cheltenham credentials on the line. A bold show is expected, he has been backed from 8-1 into 9-2 favourite. It won’t be easy to win though, as fifteen horses go to post.
On paper many seem to have high hopes of claiming the race but I’m not so sure. Top weight Kalahari King has a nine month lay off to overcome and his trainer Ferdy Murphy has said “the Queen Mother is the target; he’ll come on for the run”. The favourite, Free World, is not for me. He was beaten by a novice in his last run and there is surely a classier animal in the race. I think Paul Nicholls’ second string; Imsingingtheblues is a better bet then his stable companion. He won this race last year and has a nine pound hike to contend with but he represents better value then the favourite. Furthermore, he has won twice round Doncaster in the past.
For me, the class horse in the race is Tartak. He ran a very respectable race in the King George before finding the three mile trip out of his range. Before that, he ran second in the Peterborough Chase, just finding Deep Purple too good on the day. The drop to two miles could be right up his street. He jumps like a stag and will get the good gallop he needs to show his true colours.
I think there will be a ferocious pace and the two mile trip will take some getting. On a fair track like Doncaster, jumping errors will lose you the race but Sam Thomas’ mount has no concerns in that department. However a slight concern is Tom George’s average recent form but hopefully he has Tartak spot on to take the prize. A cracking price at 12-1.
