All eyes in the horse racing would would be glued on the action at Newmarket, where the first Classic of the season would take place: the 2000 Guineas. While the high quality action took place in Suffolk, a low key evening meeting would begin further north at Doncaster. The home of the final Classic of the year would open its doors once again for the first of their popular Saturday evening fixtures which sees a combination of music and competitive racing on track. This evening's event would follow the trend with a variety of race types over the seven races. 

Race One: The Watch Unbridled On Attheraces.com Handicap - Class Five - One Mile - Runners: 9

Just an hour after the winner of the 2000 Guineas had been revealed at Newmarket, a contest for three year olds over a mile would open the card here; albeit at a much more modest class five level. This early stage of the season can provide opportunities for horses to progress during their second season and connections will have bigger targets in mind later in the year. The race last year was won by the William Haggas-trained filly Take A Breath, who justified favouritism in the betting. She would win twice more before transferring to America where she took fourth in a Grade One and won a Grade Three recently.

Hoping to follow a similar path to stardom would be a healthy sized field of nine . Top weight would be carried by George Scott's runner Reliable Ricki. The gelding is related to a number of winners in his family and took third on debut here last season. He then switched to the all-weather where he won nicely on his last start at Wolverhampton, but that was back in September. In the same ownership, Jennie Candlish's Vidmyr, who made a quick return to action. The former Irish-trained gelding was well fancied in a maiden at Wolverhampton at the start of the week and went very close. Another Newmarket based trainer with an interest here would be Harry Eustace with Thunderhoof. He would make his debut as recently as February and has run well without troubling the winner in his races so far, but this handicap debut could be a little easier. The improving stable of Jack Jones would be represented by Decem Starr here. The gelding ran his best race on his second start when runner up at Lingfield, but remained in novice company until now. He weakened into fourth on the undulating Catterick course a few weeks ago.  Another leading ownership operation would be present here as the grey Stay Salty carried the colours of Amo Racing. The Kevin Philippart de Foy gelding is another to make his turf debut in this contest, but has looked promising so far. After winning on second start at Chelmsford, he was caught in the closing stages at Kempton recently so he has ability. The newly formed partnership of Richard and Peter Fahey have enjoyed a good start to this season and would saddle Horu Kanu in this contest. The gelding has been tried over six and seven furlongs so far in novice company with little success, so this would be a new test over a mile on handicap debut. Another to make the short trip from Malton would be Indefensible from the Ollie Pears yard. The gelding ran moderately in three novice races on the all-weather last season, but looked a different prospect when second at Beverley recently in a similar contest to this one. Jedd O'Keeffe is another trainer who does well in this sort of race and would be represented by the filly Lady Hornblower. She would look progressive with a win and two seconds last season, but could only manage sixth in a race at Beverley that contained a few reopposing rivals here. David O'Meara's Willowinghurn would complete the line up in the opener, but has a more exposed look to her profile. The filly won twice during a busy first season last year and now needs to show she has trained on this year after a quiet reappearance at Beverley recently. 

Winner: RELIABLE RICKI (Elzaam x Babylonian) (#1) - C. Rodriguez - G. Scott

A healthy crowd would pass through the gates for this student-friendly meeting and they would be accompanied by pleasant temperatures and blue skies up above. This opening contest looked to be a wide open one based on the fiery betting market and all nine of the originally planned runners would take their place at the starting stalls on the round mile course.
The gates would crash open to begin proceedings and from the outset, it would be Lady Hornblower who went into the lead after the first few strides. The filly would then set a steady gallop approaching the first bend, but was happy to dictate affairs early on. Racing in second would be the grey Stay Salty who was shadowed by Horu Kanu and Willowinghurn, with Thunderhoof happy to sit in a midfield position. The favourite Reliable Ricki would be dropped out at the rear by Callum Rodriguez as he raced alongside the owner's second runner Vidymir in the first few furlongs. The only one to race enthusiastically would be Indefensible, who battled for control with his rider Harry Russell. Halfway down the home straight and approaching the business end of the race at the two furlong pole, Horu Kanu had moved alongside Lady Hornblower before taking the outright lead. The pace setter quickly faded away which left a number of horses with a chance of victory. Horu Kanu came under pressure at the final furlong marker and began to drift to his left while Decem Starr had also made good headway to dispute the lead. In a race that changed complexion quickly, Thunderhoof was the next to travel stylishly to the front under Kaiya Fraser and looked set to take the win. Just as it looked set to be Thunderhoof's race for the taking, the two runners in red silks, Reliable Ricki and Vidymir made their challenges at the latest possible stage. Under a strong ride, Reliable Ricki finally got the message and had Thunderhoof in his sights, the gap would close between the two before the favourite gamely stuck his head in front on the line. It would be a perfectly timed challenge for Reliable Ricki to deny Thunderhoof in the dying strides while Vidmiyr suffered slight interference as Thunderhoof drifted right close to the line but still took third. Fourth place would go to Decem Starr, who finished on the heels of those in front.

It would be a winning start for punters as the well supported favourite Reliable Ricki took the prize back to Newmarket. The three year old began his career near Thirsk with the Kevin Ryan stable and made his debut at Doncaster last July. Starting out over seven furlongs, he looked very inexperienced on his debut, but responded to pressure to take third that day. He did enough to impress trainer George Scott and he soon moved down to Newmarket where he ran twice more last year. A third at Chelmsford was another decent effort, but he would impress next time when breaking his maiden at Wolverhampton in September. Seeing out the seven furlong trip strongly, he always appeared to need this extra distance. This would be a good starting point for the son of Elzaam is a half brother to the ill fated Santry, who finished second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2017. He looks to be more of a miler though and should have a good season in store with similar races available throughout the year. 

Race Two: The Download The At The Races App Restricted Novice Stakes - Class Five - One Mile - Runners: 6
The racing would remain at the mile starting point as the first of two novice races on the card took place. This one would be limited to horses between the age of three and five, providing an opportunity for the later developers to learn the trade. Last year, this class five contest took place over a mile and quarter and despite the three runners that day, they included subsequent three time winner Dangerman and Mister Rizz, who won this easily before taking part in the Dante Stakes at York. 

Heading the field in this mile-long contest would be the unbeaten three year old Noelan Star. Ed Bethell's gelding has looked a potential star in two races at Newcastle, pulling clear in impressive style. This would be a good test of his ability on his turf debut. Next up would be the sole four year old in the field, Roy Bowring's filly Auradue. She comes from a more modest family compared to her rivals so might be one for further down the line. John and Thady Gosden have unveiled a handful of high class three year old prospects in recent weeks and saddled Harmonics in this contest. The son of Lucky Vega made his debut at Southwell a fortnight ago, but raced keenly and could only manage fifth on that occasion. Another to make his debut in this contest would be Tom Clover's Leoardo Blu. He is related to a very classy sprinter, so time will tell whether a mile is his optimum trip. The Godolphin operation would saddle the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Moutain Cat. The colt is related to some classy French fillies, so made appeal ahead of this racecourse debut in a race which looks wide open. The chestnut Beau Chevalier lined up for the Ed De Giles stable, but looks to be a longer term project based on his achievements so far. The colt has finished towards the back in a pair of seven furlong novices, but qualifies for handicaps after this race. David O'Meara unveiled an exciting winning newcomer here last week and saddled My Ballyquinn this time around. The gelding has run twice already, but ran much better when a close second at Thirsk last month.

Winner: MOUNTAIN CAT (Teofilo x Maria Amalia) - (#5) - A. Rawlinson - S. Bin Suroor

The original seven runners would be reduced to six on the morning of the race as Harmonics would be deemed a non-runner for the Gosdens. The race would nearly reduce further as the newcomer Leonardo Blu showed reluctance to enter the stalls. The final attempt from the stalls handlers would prove successful as he finally relented and took his place in the gate.

The starter would release the stalls to set the race off and straight away, the heavily backed favourite Noelan Star would go to the front. The dual winner kept straight and true along the near side running rail and his rivals followed in close pursuit. Mountain Cat had been slightly sluggish from his gate, but soon regained a prominent position in the all blue of Godolphin while the older filly Auradue raced in a share of second. My Ballyquin was also never far away from the leaders while Leonardo Blu had settled nicely towards the rear despite his pre-race antics. The running order would be completed by Beau Chevalier who brought up the rear. At the halfway stage, the pace would be just an average one as Noelan Star continued to bowl along under Callum Rodriguez. The order remained mostly the same, but just inside the two furlong pole, Mountain Cat started to pounce. The newcomer showed a useful turn of pace to take the lead from Noelan Star but showed signs of greenness in the process. He would drift towards the middle of the track but maintained the forward momentum which took him clear of the weakening Noelan Star. Leonardo Blu would give chase on the leader, but it would be to no avail as Mountain Cat had built up a healthy lead to win smartly by three and a half lengths on debut. Leonardo Blu would make a pleasing debut by taking second, while the double penalty for the previous winner Noelan Star proved too much as he could only manage third here. The top four would be completed by My Ballyquinn, who could improve with time and distance.

The six strong field looked to be a straight battle between four of the runners and they all came to the fore. It would be a pretty impressive debut win for Mountain Cat, who has seemingly been slow to develop before his debut. The son of Teofilo comes from a talented family as the first foal of the French listed race winner Maria Amalia. Further back in the pedigree is last year's Prix du Calvados winner My Highness, who lines up in the 1000 Guineas less than twenty four hours after her cousin's victory. It would be a timely win for the Godolphin runner who could rise to a good level. His trainer Saeed bin Suroor continues to get the best out of his smaller than usual arsenal and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Mountain Cat reach listed race status in the near future.

Race Three: The Ings Environmental Susan Duker Memorial EBF Novice Stakes - 2-Y-O Only - Class Four - Six Furlongs - Runners: 6

The second novice would see the turn of the juveniles as this six furlong contest took place. This stage of the season sees the emergence of six furlong races for two year olds as previously they had been limited to five furlongs. This would see runners with a mix of speed and stamina in their pedigree begin their careers. Last year, the race was run as an older horse contest over seven furlongs and saw Richard Hannon's Nakeeb win smoothly, but his life was taken too soon on his following race.

The racecard would be headed by the Tom Dascombe-trained Crown Of Ivy. The newcomer is from the first crop of new sire Naval Crown and related to a winning sprinter. His trainer is also a good source of juvenile talent. Amo Racing are often big spenders at yearling sales and one of their purchases would make his debut here, Lion O. The Kevin Philippart de Foy-trained son of Mehmas is another with stayers in his close family, so it will be interesting to see how the newcomer fares here. Next up would come the Marco Botti-trained Notable Dream, who also made the journey from Newmarket. A runner for first season sire Bayside Boy, the colt is a half brother to a talented winner in France and his trainer has enjoyed success at this venue in the past with two year olds. It is rare for John and Thady Gosden to have juvenile runners this early in the season, but the leading stable would be represented by Note To Self. The colt is the grandson of a champion sprinter, but is also related to some pattern class stayers and would be of automatic interest on debut with his connections. Rocket Boots has also gained valuable racecourse experience already as he finished fourth in a decent contest at Newmarket last month. James Owen's colt made most of the running that day and comes from a useful family. One of the best bred sorts in this contest would be the Charlie Fellowes-trained Romanza. The colt is a son of the great Frankel out of a Royal Ascot and Grade One winner, so he is expected to be classy based on his pedigree. The smaller stable of Des Donovan would be represented by Taseem in this contest. The colt isn't as stoutly bred as some of his rivals, but does have racecourse experience to rely on. He made a low key debut at Yarmouth last week where he was slowly away and never involved. Yorkshire trainer Mark Walford does well with a small number of horses and would introduce a newcomer here in the form of the filly Don't Call Me Ivy. The daughter of Australia has a useful pedigree as a relative of a juvenile Group One winner. Shadwell Racing would be another operation with a runner here as their recognisable blue and white silks were carried by Harry Eustace's Mohaymenah. The homebred daughter of speedy first season sire Minzaal has good credentials ahead of this first day at school. 

Winner: CROWN OF IVY (Naval Crown x Thaleia) - (#1) - W. Cox - T. Dascombe

The second of the novice contests would have a wide open look to it with plenty of questions to be asked about a field that consisted mainly of newcomers. The race had already been reduced to seven runners as the well bred Romanza and the filly Don't Call Me Ivy were taken out of the contest earlier in the day and as the horses left the parade ring, Taseem would bolt to the start, dumping his jockey on the ground and withdrawn not long after.

The condensed field of juveniles would behave notably well at the starting gates and complied with the handlers to enter the narrow gates. They would get away to a fairly even break and form a closely formed pack in the opening stages. It would be Crown To Ivy who made the sharpest getaway on debut and quickly found himself in the lead under Will Cox. Next up would be fellow newcomer Mohaymenah in the Shadwell Racing silks and Rocket Boots, the sole runner left with previous experience. Lion O wasn't too far away in the purple jacket of Amo Racing while the final two in the order would be the strongly backed favourite Note To Self and Notable Dream. The pace wouldn't be all that strong in the first half of the race which meant all six runners held a good chance of winning at two furlong pole. The long time leader Crown Of Ivy would have rivals breathing down his neck, which consisted of Mohaymenah, Rocket Boots and latterly Notable Dream, but Crown Of Ivy had enough in reserve to kick on inside the final furlong, The debutante began to pull clear inside the final stages despite drifting to his left, but crossed the line a healthy two and a half lengths clear of the rest. Rocket Boots would just about hang on to second place as Notable Dream kept on into third, while Mohaymenah showed respectable promise in fourth. The remaining two runners Note To Self and Lion O would be ultimately slightly disappointing on their first starts.

Tom Dascombe has always been a trainer who is well regarded when it comes to training juveniles. From the likes of July Stakes winner Classic Blade to Queen Mary winner Ceiling Kitty and more recently the listed race winner Flaming Rib, the Lambourn trainer is capable of readying young horses for their first racecourse starts. He looks to have another nice prospect here with Crown Of Ivy, who dictated the race, but showed a good change of gear to quicken away. The colt is by the first season sire Naval Crown, winner of the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022. The colt is also a half brother to the useful dual winner King Of Bears, who has won twice to date with an official rating in the low 90's. The juvenile division is only just beginning to wake up in this early stage of the season, but Crown Of Ivy impressed here and could be on his way to Group race assignments at Royal Ascot and Newmarket in the coming months. 

Race Four: The Sky Sports Racing Virgin 512 Handicap - Class Three - Six Furlongs - Runners: 6

Next up would be the turn of the older, more established sorts as this good looking sprint handicap took place over six furlongs. The class three contest was run last year as a class five event and won by One More Dream from the John and Sean Quinn stable. This minor upgrade now sees a more valuable contest and some classy sprinters lining up. 

Carrying top weight in the feature would be the experienced six year Akkadian Thunder. The six year old has a good record at Doncaster with two wins in the past and David O'Meara's chestnut when close to adding to that tally when narrowly denied here in March. That was a good comeback run and he could be in for another good season this year. Ruth Carr's Rousing Encore has some good form to his name, most recently during last summer. The six year old finished in the frame twice here at the end of last season and has continued in good form this spring with a fifth at Newmarket last time out. A fascinating contender here would be James Tate's unexposed four year old Rose Of Honour. The filly has won both starts to date, both of which came in September on the all-weather. This would be a tougher test for her debut on turf. Kevin Ryan has a good record in sprint handicaps at Doncaster and would saddle Territorial Knight in this contest. The four year old had a good season last year, winning here in July and shaped as if he has more to give when fifth over course and distance in March.  The Julie Camacho-trained Brummell would have plenty of support as he lined up here for the Owners Group. The five year old has won his fair share of races and has a progressive look to his form, winning three times last year and made his seasonal reappearance here.  The well travelled Papa Cocktail would line up for the Michael Herrington but has been more of a regular on the all-weather in recent times. The seven year old was in good form last summer and won nicely over course and distance at a lower level. 

Winner: ROSE OF HONOUR (Night of Thunder x Rosa Imperial) - (#3) - C. Rodriguez - J. Tate

The feature race would see a fairly disappointing turnout with just six runners, but it still looked to be a good contest on paper. All six runners have plenty of experience between them so there would be no dramas at the stalls this time around. Rousing Encore is usually ridden with patience in his races, but the tactical nature of this small field meant he had to run differently this time. Ruth Carr's six year old would make the running this time, setting a modest pace. Brummell would sit in a share of second on his comeback run, but would race keenly in the opening stages as he ran alongside Territorial Knight. The unexposed Rose Of Honour was close up in fourth place while Papa Cocktail and Akkadian Thunder brought up the rear as the group made their way past the halfway marker. Despite over-racing in the early stages, Brummell put the pressure on Rousing Encore approaching the final furlong pole and held every chance with as Territorial Knight began to weaken. Rose Of Honour would also show a telling turn of foot and overtook the two rivals in front of her and making a v-line to the finishing post. The filly's lead would be a narrow one as Papa Cocktail followed her every move inside the final stages and was last to challenge. Rose Of Honour bravely fought off the attentions of Papa Cocktail and hit the line first, the margin between the pair would be only a neck. The front two pulled away from Brummell whose lack of a recent run showed and he had to settle for third. Fourth would go the way of Territorial Knight, who finished in front of long time leader Rousing Encore and Akkadian Thunder who was never involved at any stage.

The filly Rose Of Honour caught the eye in the line up as a very lightly raced horse with more potential to unlock than her more seasoned rivals. James Tate's four year old made a late start to her career as her debut didn't take place until September last year. Making a slightly slow getaway at Kempton, she would recover nicely to burst clear that day and make a smart winning debut. She would then make it two wins in a row just a fortnight later, this time at Southwell. The tactics would change and Rose Of Honour had to make the running, but it made little difference as she won again by the same margin as her debut. This would be her first start since then and she looked fit and ready to go here. On the day her sire Night Of Thunder saw another of his progeny, Bow Echo, explode onto the scene in the 2000 Guineas, Rose Of Honour could also reach a higher level. The nature of her progress could see her compete in listed races over sprint distances later this season.

Race Five: The Free Daily Tips On Attheraces.com Handicap - Class Five - One Mile, Four Furlongs - Runners: 6

After a string of races on the straight course, the focus would switch to the stayers with this long distance handicap over a mile and half. The low grade class five contest would see a tightly bunched field based on official ratings, which meant for a competitive race. Last year, the Ed Walker-trained Bas Bleu was always well positioned and quickened up to win. It would be the filly's only win of the year, but she went on to place in a listed race in France later in the season.

Carrying top weight here would be the David O'Meara-trained Mafting. The four year old would be a topically named winner as he recently won during the heat wave a couple of weeks ago, but also confirmed his progression. He could be in for a good season for his connections. Next up would be Sixpack from the James Owen stable. The former Irish based gelding has run mostly over longer trips and over hurdles in recent times, but posted a good effort back down to a mile and a half at the start of April at Musselburgh. Joey Ramsden would be the second South African-born trainer to be based in Britain and has taken inspiration from countryman Dylan Cunha. He would be represented here by the eight year old Pleasant Man, who plied his trade on the all-weather in recent times. He may not have won since the end of January last year, but has been filling the placings on a regular basis. Another horse to return from a break would be Kevin Frost's Saratoga Gold. He also hasn't won for a long time, but was consistently running well for his current connections; finishing second over two miles on the all-weather back in November. Another veteran of the Kevin Frost yard would be Tazaman, who returned for another season. The nine year old has shown good versatility with distances, including a win over an extended two miles last summer. He would finish off the season with a third at York in October. The dual purpose stable of Barry Brennan would be represented by the bottom weight Dreams Fled Away, who made a return to the flat in this contest. He has raced in this sphere just once in the last two years, but has won over obstacles recently and his last start came at this venue, albeit over hurdles. 

Winner: SIXPACK (Sea The Moon x Terre du Vent) - (#2) - M. Paetel - J. Owen

Another small turnout for this staying contest which proved frustrating for punters and the betting market seemed to revolve around two horses, Mafting and Sixpack.

The race would get underway a short distance from the bend that takes horses away from the stands. The early pace would be provided by Pleasant Man, who was returning to the turf under Jack Garritty. Next would be the two main protagonists in the race, Sixpack who sat in second while Mafting settled in third. Dreams Fled Away would hold a midfield position while the two Kevin Frost runners Saratoga Gold and Tazaman completed the running order. The pack would gradually rise up Rose Hill before descending again around the long, sweeping bend. The leader Pleasant Man didn't seem to be in a rush as he set a modest tempo into the home straight. The pack would move into the middle of the course as the race began to take shape. Sixpack was travelling noticeably well under young rider Mason Paetel and looked to have the upper hand as he edged forward into the lead two furlongs out. Mafting was also going fairly well, but not as well as his market rival who then gained first run and quickened away. Mafting began to drift to his left slightly as Sixpack continued on a straight path and the race would go back to Newmarket once again as Sixpack comfortably landed the prize by a length and a half. Mafting had nothing else to give in second while Saratoga Gold rallied in the final stages to take third away from Pleasant Man. There would be a tragic post script to the race as Dreams Fled Away suddenly fell at the final furlong marker and would sadly lose his life. Barry Brennan's seven year old won once over hurdles and twice in Ireland on the flat. 

Sixpack would return a popular winner with the crowds and it would be a third career win for the son of Sea The Moon. The six year old began his career in Ireland with Johnny Murtagh and showed useful if not spectacular form over middle distances. Winning twice in his home country, he then switched to the James Owen yard in Newmarket following the 2024 Horses In Training sales at Newmarket. His previous best effort came at Goodwood exactly a year ago to the day as he finished a very close second over a longer trip, but his form dipped slightly afterwards. He would even attempt hurdling for this dual purpose yard, but ran averagely in fourth at Fakenham. He then had a small break over the winter and returned recently at Musselburgh in a similar sort of race. He finished strongly that day to take third and his rating remained the same. A good tactical ride from his rider saw him take the advantage early in the straight and never looked in danger of losing. His overall profile shows that he needs to back this win up next time out, but there will be plenty of races of this nature throughout the season.

Race Six: The Free Race Replays On Attheraces.com Handicap - Class Six - Seven Furlongs - Runners: 9
The sun would start to descend on the horizon as well the racing action as the penultimate contest took place. This basement level, seven furlong contest would take place only for three year olds and just like in the opening race of the evening, it contained plenty of potential improvers. Twelve months ago, the race was run over a furlong shorter and went the way of Trust Sergei from the Gary Hanmer stable. 

The weights in this year's contest would be headed by the Adrian Nicholls-trained Thornaby Annie. The filly would show promise on a couple of occasions last season, but was unable to land a blow on her comeback run at Newcastle last month. One who has improved with experience is the Mark Walford-trained Tekitoff. The gelding ran his best race in a similar contest on the all-weather at Southwell when doing plenty wrong and still taking a close-up third. A runner for the Richard and Peter Fahey yard would come in the form of Too Darn Spicy. She ran well on debut when third at Newcastle, but has taken part in maiden races won by exciting prospects on the all-weather so this would be her turf and handicap debut here. Representing the stable of Charlie Johnston would be the colt Grey Force. The son of Blue Point comes from a family of multiple winners and has been ticking over in some novice events over the winter. This would be his  first try on grass like many others in the contest. Tim Easterby is often a regular in races of this nature with potential improvers and saddled Vega's Virtue. The filly is bred to improve with age and has shown only minor promise over shorter trips in her three novice race starts last year. The Thirsk stable of Ivan Furtado has recently found a bit of form and would be represented by Forever Twenty. The filly has been tried over a range of distances since her debut in February and now turned her attention to the turf. The Easterby family would also be represented by Mick and David's filly Trucial Pearl. She would look to be a winner in waiting during the spring on the all-weather, but could only manage a midfield finish at Pontefract last time out. Another Newmarket challenger would be the filly Caitlin G from the Ilka Gansera-Leveque stable. She finished last in three starts last summer, but one of those came in a Group contest at Royal Ascot, so she was well thought of by her previous trainer. Completing the line up would be Craig Lidster's Go Teejay, another who hasn't shown much in novice company and moved into handicap contests off a low weight. 

Winner: TEKITOFF (Mayson x Itizzit) (#3) - J. Garritty - M. Walford

The penultimate contest would get away without any changes to the lineup and without any hitches. This competitive looking, low grade event would see plenty of front runners go forward and force the pace. Go Teejay would make a sharp getaway to lead in the opening stages. He would be joined by Grey Force, who put pressure on the leader with the keen going Thornaby Annie and Tekitoff also close up. Further back in the order, Caitlin G would take a fierce hold on her comeback appearance, hampering her own cause after halfway. Bringing up the rear would be the likes of Vega's Venture, Trucial Pearl and Forever Twenty who had made an awkward getaway from the stalls.
The race would soon reach its boiling point and a number of horses would still hold every chance. Go Teejay had narrowly lost the lead to Grey Force, but he battled gamely for as long as possible before giving way to the closing pursuers. Thornaby Annie saw the door close in her face at the final furlong marker which cost the filly momentum, but Tekitoff would be next to challenge Grey Force. Grabbing the outright lead inside the final stages, he stuck to the task gamely as Thornaby Annie came back for more. The finish line came in the nick of time for Tekitoff who had done enough to hold on and win by half a length. Thornaby Annie endured plenty of bad luck in running so did very well to take second. From the rear, Forever Twenty flashed home into third as Grey Force lost a couple of places towards the line.

It would be a first career win for the Yorkshire-trained gelding Tekitoff, who was making his fifth start. He would continue the theme of tonight's winners moving yards earlier in their career as the son of Mayson was trained by Danny Bourke last season. He was sent off at big starting prices for his two starts last year and ran accordingly with heavy defeats at Carlisle and Catterick last summer. He then moved north to the Mark Walford yard where he has begun to find his feet. A decent effort in fourth at Newmarket came after a nine month break and he then stepped forward again last time out when staying on from the rear into third at Southwell, beaten less than a length. His season so far has been one of steady improvement and he is now with a trainer who is very capable of picking the right targets for his horses. Based on his previous form and pedigree, seven furlongs looks to be his optimum trip so races of this nature will likely be a recurring theme for this newly crowned race winner.

Race Seven: The Attheraces.com/marketmovers Handicap - Class Five - Seven Furlongs - Runners: 10

The finale would see the action remain at the seven furlong starting point with an intermediate distance handicap. The class five contest was last year run as a ten furlong race for three year olds and went the way of Ismail Mohamed's Frostmagic. The revamp to the race conditions would see the older horses compete in a tricky closing contest for punters to find the winner of. 

Fionn McSharry's nine year old Maxi Boy returned for another season and would carry top weight here. He would find form towards the end of 2025 with some placed efforts on the all-weather, but hasn't been at his best in two starts since the New Year. The four year old Mr Cool is another who has been a regular on the all-weather of late, but Charlie Johnston's runner has had a busy career already. He crept closer with each run over the winter before taking second last time out at Kempton and now he is ready to return to the turf here. The George Scott-trained Zubaru is a lightly raced four year old, but his previous visits to Doncaster have been good ones. After a second just under a year ago, he would run well on handicap debut over six furlongs here too. Mick Appleby's Straight A has turned into an all-weather regular in recent times, but has a good record on both surfaces throughout his career. The five year old has been running well over seven furlongs, only weakening into the frame positions after leading early. Another veteran in the field would be Ed De Giles's nine year old Chifa. The grey recently surpassed fifty race starts, but has held his form well enough to win twice either side of the New Year. Despite this, just one of his wins have come on turf. Evocative Spark arrived here at the top of his game for the John Riches stable in search of a hat trick of wins. The seven year old has gone particularly well at Catterick, where he has won his last two starts and would be popular again here. Tim Easterby's Valentine Catcher hasn't won for a while, but is useful on his day. The five year old hasn't run well at Doncaster in the past, but appeared to be returning to form with a second last time out at Pontefract last week. Making his seasonal reappearance in this contest would be Lumenbourg for the combination of Ursa Major Racing and Julie Camacho. The five year old was highly consistent last year, finishing on the podium throughout the season and winning easily here in July, but ran flat on his final start of the year when last seen. On the other end of the experience scale, Magic Music would line up for the Steph Hollinshead yard. The four year old hasn't run often, but comes from a family which the stable know very well. Completing the line up would be a second runner for the Julie Camacho stable, Oscar's Sister. The mare's first and only win came back in 2022, but she has had some near misses in between then and now. This would be her first start since a lesser effort at Redcar in October.

Winner: ZUBARU (Zoustar x Dozy) (#3) - C. Rodriguez - G. Scott

The final race of the evening looked to be a good contest of paper with some old favourites in the line up and potential improvers facing off. Punters had latched on to the George Scott and Callum Rodriguez partnership as Zubaru was popular throughout the day and started the race as favourite. 

The race would get underway to a decent break and Mr Cool would set the early fractions in the first half. The in form Evocative Spark and Lumenbourg would sit in handy positions while Maxi Boy and Zubaru would be held up towards the back. Supporters of Oscar's Sister would face their fate early as the mare ran keenly in the opening stages and was unable to land a blow. As the final few furlongs approached, Zubaru was travelling easily and began to make headway through the field. Once he was out in the clear, he took aim at the new leader Magic Music and breezed past to win with authority by three and a half lengths. Straight A had also been held up in the early stages before chasing Zubaru's shadow into second. Magic Music ran a personal best by taking third while fourth would go to Maxi Boy, who tired in the final stages.

It would be a first career win for the four year old Zubaru, who completed a first race - last race double for the George Scott and Callum Rodriguez combination. The son of Zoustar has some useful form in defeat previously, including a second over six furlongs at Doncaster a year ago behind the talented Fast Track Harry. He wasn't at his best on the all-weather during the winter, but he ran much better at Lingfield last time when third over seven furlongs. Despite racing keenly that day, he saw out the extra yardage well which opened up this new avenue. He could hardly have won any easier here and should be capable of adding another win to his CV soon.

(Parade ring photos only)