Race One: The William Hill More Top Prices Handicap - Class Two - Six Furlongs - Runners: 12

The meeting would open in the best possible way as a high quality class two handicap would be the curtain raiser over six furlongs. This competitive affair would see some old favourites go head to head with up-and-coming talents for one of the last remaining times on turf this year. In 2024, the race was run on autumnal soft ground and saw the deep ground conditions specialist Zoum Zoum land the contest for Ralph Beckett.

This year, the ground would be described as normal for this time of the year as rain during the week led to heavy ground in places, providing testing conditions for horse and rider. The weights would be headed by an improving three year old in the field, the Paul Attwater-trained Brosay. The colt landed two decent contests earlier in the summer in good style before a fourth on slow ground at Ascot last time out to suggest he is still in form. James Ferguson's Jubilee Walk deserves a big race win this season having gone close in similar contests throughout the summer. The four year old finished third in the Ayr Gold Cup when last seen in September and had previously taken second at York in July. The enigmatic Korker has made slow starts his trademark through the years, but Karl Burke's six year old often finds himself on the scene in big handicaps. He would make strong late progress at York two weeks ago to take third in a valuable handicap, similar to this one. The Grant Tuer-trained Sophia's Starlight has been an excellent sort for her owners Nick Bradley Racing with plenty of victories at this level in the past. She would confirm her liking for this time of the year by winning at Pontefract at the start of this week and looked to complete a quick double. Taking on older rivals would be the the three year old Milford, who has gradually raised his game without winning since joining the Julie Camacho stable. After going close in a few races this summer, he has since struggled in a pair of strong handicaps recently. Another Yorkshire stable with an interest here would be David O'Meara with Akkadian Thunder. The chestnut won over a furlong further here back in June before a second place at Royal Ascot, but showed his liking for this course with another solid third at the St Leger Festival. A return to this venue could inspire some improvement on his recent form. The grey Tiger Mask has just one win to his name, but was a classy juvenile last year for the Karl Burke stable. He has yet to feature in a few handicaps this summer, including at Doncaster over seven furlongs on his latest appearance. A runner for the Wathnan Racing team would be Hamad al Jehani's Fine Interview. The grey would win on this card last year and put together a string of good efforts this season before getting up to win in the dying strides at Pontefract recently. The veteran Strike Red has been an excellent servant to the Richard Fahey stable and usually comes good at this time of the year. He took second in the Stewards' Cup back in August, but was unable to land a third Coral Sprint Trophy at York two weeks ago. Another end-of-the-year specialist would be Eye Of Dubai for the John and Sean Quinn yard. The four year old was successful here eleven months ago and after a quiet spell in 2025, he arrives in top form after a win at Ripon last time out. Ruth Carr has brought Rousing Encore back to his best this season, winning at York back in May and running well on numerous occasions. The six year old dropped in class to win at Ayr two starts ago, but struggled at York at the start of this month. Completing the field would be the Tim Easterby runner, Mister Sox. The five year old is a prolific winner at a lower level, including earlier this season, but has been found out often at this sort of level. Despite this, he would finish strongly into third at Ripon on his latest start behind Eye of Dubai. 

Winner: FINE INTERVIEW (Havana Grey x Hypatia) (#8) - J. Doyle - H. Al Jehani

Town Moor would be bathed in warm, golden sunlight as this Autumnal meeting got underway, but a stiff breeze would blow directly into the faces of the horses; making life difficult for those who race prominently.

All twelve runners would stand their ground for the opener and the experienced sprinters walked into their allocated stall without any fuss. The race would get underway and from a far side draw, Sophia's Starlight got away to the best start of all, taking a half length lead after the first few strides. As the field settled down into a rhythm, Jubilee Walk moved forward to serve it up to Sophia's Starlight and began to dictate the pace. The pack would then divert to the centre of the course, completely avoiding the far side running rail. Tiger Mask would be another to sit in a share of the lead early on as Brosay, Mister Sox and the keen going Eye Of Dubai were also close up in the early stages. Korker would make his traditional slow getaway and brought up the rear at the halfway stage along with Milford and Rousing Encore. The pace would begin to rise approaching the two furlong pole and the jockeys became more animated. The ground conditions would begin to take effect on some of the runners, including Jubilee Walk who weakened quickly away from the lead. It left Sophia's Starlight still in a narrow lead, but the race remained wide open. The grey Fine Interview was under pressure, but found plenty on the near side wing of the pack and began to close down Sophia's Starlight. Picking up the lead just inside the final furlong, he looked home and hosed, but the mercurial Korker would be last to challenge. As Sophia's Starlight was the last to crumble, the front two began to pull slightly ahead. Despite Korker's strong finishing kick, Fine Interview had already done enough in front and would comfortably hold off the challenge to win by a length. Korker had to settle for second this time as Sophia's Starlight ran well in third. From the rear, Rousing Encore would make headway at the death, but was never any closer than fourth at the line.

The ground conditions came perfectly into Fine Interview's favour and the four year old would repeat history by winning on this racecard for the second year in a row. Last year, he took the class four handicap over seven furlongs, but in the space of twelve months, Hamad al Jehani's grey has improved nicely. After spending time in Qatar with the owner's Middle Eastern retained trainer Anthony de Meuille, Fine Interview returned to Britain in mid 2024. He would show a liking to slower ground by winning three times by the end of that season, including at Doncaster. This season, the four year old had gradually improved with each run. From a third over course and distance back in March to a solid fifth place at Glorious Goodwood, he would produce an excellent third at Ascot in a classified race in September. His latest start would be a winning one where he used his stamina to good effect to grab the win close home over six furlongs at the testing Pontefract earlier in the month. Underfoot conditions are clearly important to the attractive grey gelding, but this shows that when the ground is on the slower side, he can progress even further. Connections should be able to find one more race for him at this level, now that the ground has eased up around the country.

Race Two: The British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes - Class Two - 2-Year-Olds Only - One Mile - Runners: 5

Two highly fascinating maiden events for two year olds would take place next on the card and the first of them would see the colts, geldings and fillies line up over a mile. With the end of the year fast approaching, races of this nature attract the more stamina-laden horses from high profile yards. Next year's Epsom Derby will be at the back of the mind for connections with a victory here. Last year, the race was restricted to fillies and saw David Menuisier's Janey Mackers breeze to an easy success, but she has yet to progress since then. 

The first of the runners would be Roger Varian's Affettuoso, a newcomer in the Cheveley Park Stud colours. The son of New Bay is the first foal of a staying filly, so there should be class and stamina in the pedigree. The horse with most experience would be John Butler's colt Arbaawy. The son of Palace Pier has finished second twice this year, but has been found out in a couple of stronger maiden races. Amo Racing are well known for their big money purchases at the yearling sales and would be represented here by David Simcock's colt El Loco. The French bred runner is related to a high class sprinter in Europe, but could only manage eighth on his debut over course and distance at the St Leger meeting. Karl Burke has produced some high class juveniles on the track this year alone and would hope Golden Story can be the next from the conveyor belt. The son of Lope de Vega is related to some classy stayers, so would be one for the notebook. William Haggas would also be represented with his debutante Infraad. The son of Ghaiyyath is a half brother to a Group One winner, so there should be plenty of intrigue around this one's racecourse debut. 

Winner: GOLDEN STORY (Lope de Vega x October Queen) (#2) - J. Doyle - K. Burke

An already small field was reduced further shortly after the declaration stages as Ralph Beckett's newcomer Gotta Fly was also declared at Newbury on the same afternoon, but connections opted to remain in the south. It would leave a field of five, but a fascinating prospect in store.

The quintet were on their best behaviour for this challenging contest, despite Golden Story taking in his surroundings on the canter down to the post. Once he reached the starting stalls however, his game face would be dialled in and joined his rivals in the stalls. As the gates opened, the newcomer Affettuoso was slightly hesitant of leaving his stall and lost a few metres on his rivals, but soon recovered to make it a tightly bunched group down the middle of the track. Arbaawy would use all of his previous experience to take up the lead in the early stages under Neil Callan as the two newcomers Golden Story and Infraad raced comfortably in second and third. El Loco was another to be slightly slow from the box, but he would sit in fourth and just ahead of Affettuoso. There would be little change in the order for most of the race, but at the two furlong pole, James Doyle would ask Golden Story to lengthen his stride. The colt would comply and took over in front, relegating Arbaawy to second. Infraad would shadow the new leader's move and also picked up the pace over a furlong out, but Golden Story began to pour it on. Inside the final furlong, all the focus would be on the leader as he stretched clear of Infraad with a gap of numerous lengths, but approaching the line his stride began to shorten. He would then idle which gave a second chance for Infraad to chase the leader, but the damage had already been done. Golden Story would cross the line with just a length and a quarter to spare, but the winning margin would be much higher had he not idled in front. There would be a further five lengths back to Arbaawy in third as El Loco was never fully involved as he returned home in fourth.

The dream season for Karl Burke with juveniles would continue with this highly exciting debutante winner, Golden Story. The chestnut colt caught the eye with his physical appearance and is bred to relish middle distances next year. The son of Lope de Vega is a full brother to Arabian Force, a two time winner who also finished a close third in the Great Voltigeur at York a few months ago. Further back in the family comes Rizeena, a dual Group One winner over a mile, so the pedigree is filled with quality and stamina. Winning in this style over a mile on heavy ground bodes very well for the future and the Karl Burke yard might be able to start dreaming about a live contender for the next year's Epsom Derby throughout the winter.  

Race Three: The Join Century Racing Club Today EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes - Class Five - 2-Y-O only - Seven Furlongs: 6

The second of the two informative maiden contests on this card would feature only fillies this time as they took to seven furlong starting point. Just like in the previous race, the Epsom classics will be in the back of the trainer's mind who have a runner in this race, as they look to emulate 2022's winner Soul Sister, who went on to win the Epsom Oaks the following season. Last year, the conditions of the race were slightly different as colts and geldings were included, which meant Godolphin's Music Of Time landed victory.

This year's field of fillies would be lead by Accademia from the Ed Walker stable. The daughter of St Mark's Basilica is related to a listed race winner who came from the Ed Walker stable and stepped up from her debut to take a late closing fourth at Kempton recently. Tom Dascombe would saddle the once raced filly Bluebluelectricblu here, a daughter of Starman who contested a stronger contest at Newmarket on debut. She would need to improve on a low key performance that day, but could be up to it.  William Haggas is another trainer well versed with success at this sort of level and would saddle Florida Suite. She comes from a very smart family and was pitched into a good contest at Newbury. She was fancied in the betting that day, but was left behind into sixth. Karl Burke has enjoyed an embarrassment of riches in the juvenile division this year and would introduce Harper Violet. The daughter of Lope de Vega is the latest saga of an outstanding racing family. Jane Chapple-Hyam has introduced winning newcomers at Doncaster in the past and would hope to do the same with Hollywell Stream. The filly has a number of high class stayers in her family, so should be better over further in the future. Another Newmarket based newcomer would be Hot And Cold from the Sir Mark Prescott stable. She comes from the family of some top notch horses in Hong Kong, but her trainer doesn't often saddle winning newcomers. The William Haggas-trained Lilt would make her debut in the same race as her half sister Doom did where she finished second in 2022. She comes from a decent family and looked to keep it in the family in this contest. Ralph Beckett's juvenile fillies are often worth making a note of at this time of the season and he would saddle Poets Praise, a filly who could only manage fifth on debut at Leicester. She is bred to be useful and was front rank for most of her debut before weakening away. Completing the field would be another William Haggas-trained newcomer, Venetian Sky. The daughter of St Mark's Basilica is bred to be very smart and runners from the yard are always highly respected.

Winner: LILT (Lope de Vega x Dank) (#7) - C. Fallon - W. Haggas

The ground conditions would decimate the lineup for this informative contest as Accademia, Florida Suite and Venetian Sky would all sit this one out, leaving a field of six runners to go to post.

Just like their male counterparts, the juveniles would behave nicely at the start, taking the lack of experience into account. No sooner had the loading process began, the race would be underway to an even break. The newcomer Lilt would be sharpest away under Cieren Fallon and took the field along at a steady pace. Her fellow debutante Harper Violet would move forward and race alongside the leader as Hollywell Stream was also on the scene. Bluebluelectricblu would also help contribute to the early pace as the slow starting Poets Praise brought up the rear with Hot And Cold. Once again, the action remained down the centre of the course as Lilt continued to bowl along in front without overexerting herself. Hollywell Stream moved into second, albeit narrowly, as Harper Violet settled in third. Approaching the business end of the race, Poets Praise began to make headway and briefly threaten the leaders, but the front runners hadn't reached top gear yet. As Harper Violet began to fade in the conditions, the race was whittled down to two contenders; Hollywell Stream and Lilt. The pair of newcomers would go eye to eye inside the final furlong in a rousing finish, but Lilt would always have the measure of her rival and crossed the line to make a winning debut. Just a neck would separate the two fillies as Hollywell Stream also made an encouraging debut. Further back, Harper Violet offered something to work on in third while Poets Praise hampered her own chances with a slow start and took fourth.

William Haggas traditionally unearths his stronger prospects at the back end of each season and Lilt could be the latest one. The filly would make it a double of Lope de Vega progeny to win on debut here and Lilt would go one better than her half sister Doom in this race as that filly came second to a future Oaks winner in 2022. Her dam Dank was a slow developer and came into her own as a four year old, winning the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mares' Turf in 2013. A high class miler herself, she never raced further than ten furlongs, but has produced some useful mares including Doom, who landed a pair of listed race wins. Her latest daughter Lilt looked very professional on debut, knowing her job straight away and knuckling down nicely to win. The Haggas team will surely be looking forward to next season and the prospect of better ground in the spring could see her lining up in a trial for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May. On the other side of the spectrum, Hollywell Stream looks a very smart staying filly for next year and a close second here on debut can only bode well for the future. 

Race Four: The William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap - Class Two - Seven Furlongs - Runners: 10

The high level handicap action would continue with a second class two event, this time over seven furlongs. Just like in the opening contest, this race attracted a competitive field of well known faces and others who were rising or falling through the grading ladder. This contest would be a new addition to the racecard, having previously been run as a class three race last year; which was won by the smart Myal. Extra prize money on offer would also help to boost entries this year.

Heading the weights would be Eve Johnson Houghton's four year old Balmacarra, won twice here last year before moving up to a higher level. He has yet to win since last year, but has a couple of good placed efforts; none more significant than the one behind Cicero's Gift two starts ago. Another winner at a higher level would be Grey's Monument for trainer Ralph Beckett. The five year old won a listed race last autumn, but has been lightly raced this year. He would produce his best run of the season so far at Redcar last time out. The grey Midnight Gun is beautifully bred and was progressive last year after joining the Wathnan Racing team. The four year old was sixth when fancied for the Lincoln here in March and didn't run badly recently after a long absence. An old favourite at this level would be David O'Meara's Rhoscolyn. The seven year old loves it at Goodwood and landed the Golden Mile handicap there in August, but the rest of this season has been largely one to forget. He finished down the order once again at York a fortnight ago. An unexposed three year old would be Khafiz from the Roger Varian stable. The gelding won over course and distance earlier in the season before rising into Group company without success. He would then struggle on soft ground last time out at Ayr, but remained open to progress. Dominic Ffrench Davis's three year old Mirabeau has been kept comparatively busier this year and has even placed over longer distances at a good level. The grey appreciated soft ground last autumn, so will be hoping for plenty of rain. Tom Clover's God Of War looked set for a good future during his juvenile season last year, but has been exposed at times this year. After breaking a brief lull in form by winning at Sandown, he ran poorly again at this venue in September. The Karl Burke-trained First Ambition is bred to be high class, but had to wait until this year to make his debut. The four year old won his first two starts on the all-weather and lost little in defeat on his turf and handicap debut at Haydock last month. The James Owen-trained Rogue Diplomat arrived at Doncaster on a hot streak as the three year old has won his last three races. The latest of those came in good style in a similar contest at the St Leger festival, so he has proven himself in this company. Katie Scott's stable star Gweedore has been a reliable flag bearer for the Scottish yard and has run well in a pair of big handicaps at Ayr and York in recent weeks, so this a victory here would be deserved.  Completing the field here would be Richard Fahey's quirky sort, Our Havana. The four year old can be useful when at his best, but that isn't very often. He would win three times at the start of this year, but has struggled in similar company of late.

Winner: ROGUE DIPLOMAT (Calyx x Only Live Once) (#9) - H. Davies - J. Owen

Yet another good quality handicap would take place in front of terrestrial TV cameras, this time over seven furlongs. The only absentee would be Tom Clover's God Of War, owing to the ground conditions. 
The highly experienced group of handicappers casually strolled around at the start, having done this process many times before in their lives and settled into their gate with ease. The stalls would crash back and Balmacara would make the best start of all, taking the early lead. As the runners settled into their stride, Grey's Monument would move forward to pester the leader with Khafiz, Gweedore and First Ambition all racing in front rank. The pace would be a steady one owing to the conditions, but Balmaraca would race keenly under Charlie Bishop, wanting to go quicker. Grey's Monument would also pull hard in the early stages, but their jockeys were keen not to ruin their chances on this testing ground. Approaching the two furlong pole, Balmacara's time was up as he folded and dropped away quickly. It would leave Grey's Monument in the lead as First Ambition and Khafiz looked to be dangers. Those who had done the hard work of making the running began to suffer as the latecomers joined in the action. Rogue Diplomat had been ridden quietly early on, but had made stylish progress through the field. The three year old took over in front and kicked on for home inside the final furlong. Midnight Gun had endured some traffic issues through the race, but one he was out in the open, he began to rattle home. The grey would make rapid progress and looked likely to give the Wathnan Racing team a grey horse win double, but Rogue Diplomat refused to give in. He would battle hard to the line and the pair broke the beam together. After a brief wait, the judge declared that Rogue Diplomat's nose was just slightly ahead and the race was his. Midnight Gun would take a valiant second, just ahead of Khafiz in third with Rhoscolyn plugging on from the rear into fourth.

This would be another valuable win for the ever-improving colt Rogue Diplomat. James Owen's three year old hasn't looked back since a mid season break and this would be his fourth victory in a row. After running over longer distances as a juvenile, he showed plenty of promise with two placed finishes last season. He would gain his first win on his seasonal reappearance at Leicester, dropping back to seven furlongs, but he would be disappointing subsequently in a competitive handicap over a mile at Newbury. After missing two months of action, he would begin to develop and the winning streak began at Newmarket's July course with a narrow victory in August. He would follow up on the all-weather at Southwell, but it would be his latest start which showed his talent. Lining up a class two handicap at the St Leger festival here in September, he would finish off strongly once again to win more comfortably than the official margin of three-quarters of a length suggested. His trainer James Owen has shown plenty of times that he is a master of improving horses and Rogue Diplomat has been another example. Now with two valuable handicap wins in a row, it remains to be seen how far the colt can improve up the ladder. 

Race Five: The William Hill Extra Places With B.O.G Nursery Handicap - Class Three - 2-Y-O Only - Six Furlongs - Runners: 5

The action would roll on and the focus switched back to the juveniles, this time with a nursery handicap over six furlongs. Races of this nature are often contested by those who have enjoyed a productive first year on the racecourse and this would be a nice way to sign off on turf. Last year, the race took place over a mile and was won by James Fanshawe's Glittering Legend, who went on to score at listed level and place at Group Three level this season. 

Karl Burke has proven to be the leading British trainer of juveniles this year and he would be represented by the top weight Gold Queen Kindly. The speedily bred colt made a winning debut at Pontefract in August and was considered good enough to compete in the Mill Reef Stakes last time out where he finished fifth. The Godolphin and Charlie Appleby combination is a powerful one and they would saddle Rising Power in this contest as he put his unbeaten record on the line. The expensive purchase is two from two after a pair of novice race wins in May and June respectively, but has taken a lengthy break since. The Richard Hannon-trained Gharma Sutra was another to make a winning debut before his form dropped off in recent times. After winning at Ffos Las, he has been given some stiff tasks, most recently when near last in a sales race at the Curragh. Tim Easterby is often well represented in races such as this one and his Go Vince Go has been in good heart recently. The gelding has won two of his last three starts, most recently at York a fortnight ago when dropping to five furlongs. William Haggas would be another leading stable represented here as he would send up Gwen John from Newmarket. The filly got off the mark at the second attempt before running very well to take second in a better contest at the St Leger festival here last month. She would take fifth in a similar event at Newmarket lately. A second runner for Tim Easterby would be Bye Law, who completed the line up. He looked to be progressing nicely with a pair of novice race wins, but has been found out recently in a couple of handicaps at York and Ayr in recent weeks.

Winner: RISING POWER (Wootton Bassett x Pussycat Lips) (#2) - W. Buick - C. Appleby

The absence of Gharma Sutra would reduce the field to five, the remaining quintet still provided a close contest on paper. 

The field of five would make their way out of the stalls to a mostly level break, with the exception of Gwen John who had been fractious in the loading process and was slightly hesitant leaving her stall. The recent York winner Go Vince Go would go straight into the lead under David Allan and dictated the pace. It would be a sedate one however which meant the pack remained tightly bunched. Rising Power, Bye Law and Gold Queen Kindly latched onto the leader. Bringing up the rear would be Gwen John as the pack made their way down the main straight. The pace began to increase approaching the final furlong and it would quickly turn into a sprint for him. Bye Law would be left behind as his stablemate Go Vince Go was also swallowed up. From a steady start, Gwen John swooped from last to first at the furlong pole but was joined by Rising Power. After briefly locking into battle, it would be the all blue silks of Godolphin who began to pull ahead approaching the line and victory would go to Rising Power. His market rival Gwen John had to settle for second once again as Go Vince Go plugged on into a narrow third place. Gold Queen Kindly didn't have the same finishing kick and returned home in fourth, a place ahead of Bye Law who rounded out the order.

This was a smart performance by the expensive yearling purchase Rising Power, who has the potential to rise even further up the ranks next year. The son of Wootton Bassett cost 600,000 Euros in the sales ring and has a very speedy pedigree as a half brother to multiple winner Roulston Scar and Group Three race placed Special Purpose. An early, precocious type on paper, Rising Power made his debut at the Guineas meeting at Newmarket in early May where he showed a smart turn of pace to win narrowly over five furlongs. Next up came a trip to Sandown in another novice race to further his education and once again the colt needed to show a good attitude to overhaul a filly who went on to finish third in a listed race. As he stretched his unbeaten record to two, he would give Royal Ascot a miss and then suffered a setback mid-summer. Arriving at Doncaster after an absence of three months, there was plenty of hurdles to overcome in this contest. A first try over six furlongs, new headgear and a first taste of soft ground, Rising Power overcame them all and looked an exciting sprinting prospect. The Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot could be the logical target next summer. 

Race Six: The Final One Standing By William Hill Handicap - Class Four - Six Furlongs - Runners: 15

The penultimate contest would be the final race on the straight mile course, with yet another older horse handicap which looked to be wide open on paper. Last year, the race would be split into two divisions and the first saw an exciting three way finish where Kevin Ryan's Irish Nectar landed the prize. In the second division, Wathnan Racing would provide the winner in the form of Fine Interview, who capped off a progressive season in 2024.

Heading the weights this year would be an old favourite, the ever-green Aberama Gold. David O'Meara's high class handicapper recently moved past the 100 races mark and still goes strongly on the basis of two wins this summer and a close up finish in the Portland Handicap last month. The four year old Roberto Caro lined up for the Adrian Keatley stable and has been fairly lightly raced this season. He would win a Racing League contest two starts ago, but only managed a midfield finish in the Ayr Silver Cup last time out. Another highly experienced sprinter in the line up would be Baldomero, in the silks of the Horse Watchers. Mick Appleby's seven year old has recorded his last two wins at this course, the first at last year's St Leger Festival and then most recently in June where he finished strongly over five furlongs. Since then, he has been inconsistent on track. A second runner for the David O'Meara stable would be the quirky Lord Bertie, who often grabs defeat from the jaws of victory. His last win came over a year ago, but he has found form on similar ground recently, despite pulling himself up close home and finishing in the placings. A highly intriguing runner would be Jane Chapple-Hyam's three year old Trouble Man. The gelding looked to be progressive with two wins either side of the New Year and contested a listed race in France when last seen. This would be his first start since March as well as first attempt on turf however, but remained unexposed. Another three year old would be Bryan Smart's grey Station X, who capped off the end of last year with two wins including one at this venue. The colt has been running very well in defeat this year, so a win here would be a deserving one. The string of three year olds continued with Green Pursuit, who was looking to give local owners Eco Power Racing a winner at the racecourse they sponsor a grandstand at. The gelding has recently returned back to the Seb Spencer stable and produced a better run on his latest start when second at Carlisle on soft ground. National Hunt stables will be preparing to go full tilt for their season in the coming weeks, but the Sue Smith and Joel Parkinson stable would have a rare flat runner in the form of Judicature. The three year old gelding has raced just three times, but won on the second occasion. He was unable to back that win up last time at Ayr when returning to the turf, but dropped back down in distance. A course specialist would return to Doncaster in the form of Tim Easterby's four year old Amayretto. The four year old filly won on her seasonal debut here in April and has since gone on to win three times more. The likeable sort would take a good fourth in better company at Pontefract just four days ago. A second runner for the Tim Easterby stable would be Valentine Catcher, whose form has improved since encountering slower ground recently. The four year old was controversially demoted from first place at Pontefract two starts ago so remains in good form. There would be a family affair as young rider Jack Nicholls rode Ingleby Archie for his trainer father Adrian. The four year old gelding defied stamina worries to make all and win at York back in May and has run well at this trip ever since. There would be concerns over the ground however. One who won't mind the slow ground would be Phil Makin's Impressor. The eight year old looked to be at home when winning at Hamilton two starts ago on soft ground, but was turned out again quickly afterwards when only fifth at the same venue last time. The filly Art Design was narrowly denied by Station X in a handicap here last year, but she hasn't had too many opportunities since joining the Julie Camacho stable. The three year old ran better recently when fifth at Ayr on deep ground. Completing the line up would be another three year old, this time the Hugo Palmer-trainer Run Amok. The gelding's latest win came over course and distance back in June, albeit on better ground. Since then, he has run with credit on a few occasions in similar contests. 

Winner: LORD BERTIE (Wootton Bassett x Bhageerathi) (#4) - S. Gray - D. O'Meara 

There would be a short delay to the start of the race as Roberto Caro inexplicably began to play up as the horses were led behind the stalls and had to be jogged to post by the starting stalls team; the horse bathed in sweat. After the minor inconvenience, the veterans would stand quietly in their gate and the race got underway. 

From his low draw on the far side of the track, Station X got away to the best start of all and was the outright leader in the opening stages. On the opposite side, Roberto Caro ironically made a good getaway considering his reluctance earlier and would help to force the pace alongside Station X. Between the pair, Ingleby Archie would also take up a front running role as well as the evergreen Aberama Gold. Further back in the order, Lord Bertie missed the kick slightly and Impressor would also be slow to go as the gates opened. After the halfway stage, the two sides merged into one large pack down the centre of the track and the order remained mostly the same. Approaching the two furlong pole, the pre-race antics of Roberto Caro would begin to take its toll as he quickly dropped away from the lead. Baldomero and Trouble Man would begin to make inroads on Station X, looming up large with Aberama Gold. As the race began to heat up, Lord Bertie started to weave his way through the field. He joined the grey Station X just inside the final furlong and despite his rival's best efforts, Lord Bertie quickened up smartly to win going away at the finish, winning by a length and a half over the game Station X. It would be an O'Meara-trained first and third as Aberama Gold finished on the final step of the podium, a place ahead of Baldomero.

The Yorkshire based David O'Meara has been well known for having patience with sprinters, gradually easing them back into form for periods of time. The five year old had some useful pieces of form for his previous two trainers William Haggas and Jane Chapple-Hyam, but he would move north at the start of this year. After a bit of a slump in form this summer, he would turn the corner in his last three starts at Ayr. Firstly, he would catch the eye with his closing effort into ninth in a big field Silver Cup before taking second and then third in two lesser races at the Scottish venue. Despite showing his usual tendency of a slow getaway, he would travel smoothly through the ground and landed a comfortable fifth career success. This win also came from a handicap rating six pounds lower than his previous victory, such is the shrewdness of the O'Meara stable to bring him back to his best over six furlongs. A similar race will likely be within his range in the coming weeks.

Race Seven: The William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap - Class Five - One Mile, Two Furlongs - Runners: 13

The finale of day one of the Future Champions meeting would see the longest race of the afternoon, a ten furlong handicap on the round course. This class five contest would see a mixture of horses moving up and down in distance compared to their recent antics, meeting in the middle for this event. Last year, the race was run in similar conditions to this year and the veteran Croeso Cymraeg would saunter through the ground and win comfortably for the James Evans stable.

Heading the weights in this year's renewal would be the recent winner Tele Red for Karl Burke. The highly consistent eight year old has an excellent record over this sort of distance and was better value for the winning margin at Pontefract at the start of the week. Faye Bramley's Amancio was also declared to run over hurdles on the previous day, so this would be an interesting forty-eight hours for the gelding. The four year old has already won in both codes this season, the most recent on the flat coming at Newbury over a longer trip, so he has the required stamina here. Pearl Eye's biggest moment in his career came here in March where he was awarded the Spring Mile Handicap in the stewards' room. Since then however, he has struggled for form, even after switching to the Gay Kelleway stable mid-season. Last year's winner Croeso Cymraeg would return to defend his crown as an eleven year old. He has since been going through the motions, but would encounter his favoured conditions for the first time this year. A second runner for the Faye Bramley stable would be Whatcombe, who made his debut for the yard. The three year old would also be on double duty with two races in the space of twenty four hours. The son of Camelot has some smart form lines during his time with previous connections, so would be an interesting runner. Declan Carroll's Time Tells All found improvement during the summer down the road at Beverley where he won twice at this trip, but has struggled on his last two starts; including over seven furlongs last time out. It has been a while since Ninth Life has won, but the gelding has also been around plenty of yards during his career. Now with Ruth Carr, the five year old has been gradually settling into life in Yorkshire and ran adequately two starts ago when fourth at Redcar. Another Yorkshire runner would be the Roger Fell-trained Harswell Ruby, who has been unluckly not to win on more than one occasion this year. The three year old filly won here back in April over a mile, but has since been narrowly denied three times in her last four starts. John Butler would send up his four year old Ghost Story to Doncaster and the gelding has been in decent form this year. The filly won impressively in similar conditions over this distance two starts ago and was slightly unlucky in second over a mile and a half at Yarmouth in September. Another dual purpose yard with a runner here would be Alan King with Lola Moon. The lightly raced son of Sea The Moon has struggled in novice company this summer, but failed to improve on his handicap debut over course and distance last month. Another veteran from the David O'Meara to race at Doncaster on this card would be Pisanello. The eight year old is a regular at this sort of level and has a number of good performances over the years. He would take fifth over a mile at Hamilton last time out and stepped back up in trip. Craig Lidster's three year old Four Fifty won on his debut at Newcastle in the early stages of this year and has run well at times throughout the summer. He would weaken away at Redcar last time out when trying this trip for the first time however. Another three year old in the lineup would be Gemma Tutty's Star Cast. The filly remains winless so far, but ran a good race to take second at Ayr over ten furlongs which is sandwiched by two lesser runs over twelve furlongs. A pair of Lisa Williamson runners would complete the field. The first would be Lesrico, a five year old who had shown modest form prior to his latest effort when he belied his odds to take second at Haydock recently and could build on it now. He would be joined by his older brother and stablemate Red Derek, who is a favourite in the yard. The nine year old has been running well into the placings recently, including at Redcar where he went off too quickly over a longer trip and weakened into third. 

Winner: LESRICO (Steele Tango x Maydream) (#14) - B. Ffrench Davis - L. Williamson

The finale of the day would go without the Faye Bramley-trained Amancio, who ran over hurdles the previous day, as well as Whatcombe owing to the ground.
It would leave a field of thirteen runners, all of whom made a competitive race for this kind of race. As the gates opened, the runners got away to a level break as they immediately met the rising ground of Rose Hill. Crowning the summit, the ground would fall away beneath them for the long left handed downhill bend. Lesrico initially made a sticky start, but was rousted forward by Ben Ffrench Davis into the lead after a furlong. His brother Red Derek would stalk him in second as the three year olds Star Cast and Lola Moon were also prominent.  Ghost Story and Time Tells All would make slow starts and were already on the back foot in the early stages, but were never far behind the average pace. The seemingly never ending home bend would soon bring the runners into the home stretch and the runners would straighten up for the final surge. Lesrico brought the field to the final furlong pole and looked vulnerable as Tele Red loomed large on his flank. Tele Red would take a narrow lead under Jack Nicholls, but Lesrico fought back bravely. As these two held their own private battle, they began to pull well clear of the toiling pack. It soon became a two horse race inside the final stages and the long time leader Lesrico wrestled back the lead and was not for passing. He would cross the line as a race winner for the first time, denying Tele Red in game fashion. A gap of six lengths went back to Ghost Story, who kept on from his slow start into third, a place ahead of Harswell Ruby.

It would be a race where little went right for Lesrico, but the final outcome would be the best possible one. The five year old had been lightly raced prior to this contest, but showed a large jolt of improvement last time out. His previous best finish came on his debut at Newcastle two years ago when fourth, but a change to front running tactics at Haydock saw him take second in a similar event. With that new found confidence, he was able to repeat that effort and once a talented rival drew alongside him, Lesrico refused to give in. In true sibling fashion, the pair of Red Derek and Lesrico took an age to pull up after the finish, eventually coming to a stop half a mile further down the back straight. The small stable of Lisa Williamson don't have world beaters, but they are well represented at this kind of level and Lesrico should be able to fly the flag for the yard in the coming weeks and months.