Eight will head to post for Friday's feature Doncaster Cup where dynamic duo Emmet Mullins & Paul Byrne are hoping to complete the first leg of an epic staying double.
Known for executing pioneering plans with the likes of The Shunter, Slate Lane and Soldier In Milan in years gone by; runners donning Byrne's light blue silks stick out like a sore thumb to punters on the racecard nowadays.
Winday is the horse earmarked for Town Moor by Mullins and Byrne and the three-year-old boasts a fascinating profile.
Originally trained by Mullins as a juvenile, he finished behind Action and Endorsement in a pair of maidens before making the journey across the channel to join French national hunt champion trainer Mickael Seror. He would only have three starts for Seror, however, returnign to Mullins having ran fourth in a Grade 3 hurdle and snuck into the places in a Listed contest.
Now back with his original trainer, the Galiway gelding dotted up in a Ffos Las maiden, earning an RPR of 94. Whilst this is a long way off what is required to win a Doncaster Cup, he is in receipt of weight all round; getting more than a stone off the favourite.
Backed into 6/1, and holding eye-catching Cesarewitch and Melbourne Cup entries, he is a compelling runner in this.
There is genuine Group 1 form on display though, with all seven runners needing to step up to the level that Caballo De Mar has shown over the last year. He has won two races at the top level, both coming at Longchamp, but his latest effort was quite a bit below that form.
Sent off a well-respected 7/4f, George Scott's stayer could only manage fourth as Al Nayyir pipped Illinois to land the Lonsdale Cup.
It wouldn't be a UK Group contest without the presence of Aidan O'Brien and the Ballydoyle supremo has readied Queenstown for a crack around Doncaster. He has form with Caballo De Mar courtesy of a third placed effort in the Prix du Cadran last year and made a winning return to action by beating Kizlyar in the Irish St Leger Trial last month.
Now a six-year-old, he has been very consistent in his most recent runs and another effort at that level should see him go fairly close in this.
Doncaster Cup confirmed runners
- Caballo De Mar
- Ascending
- Berkshire Sundance
- Beylerbeyi
- Epic Poet
- Queenstown
- Peace Belle
- Winday
Doncaster Cup betting odds
(Odds will display when market is available)
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
