UK Horse Racing Tips

The going at Doncaster is currently good to soft, good in places and faster underfoot conditions have attracted over 100 runners in seven races on Friday. The Sky Bet Thanks Jen Noble Maiden Hurdle (3.40) is the most competitive race on the card, numerically, but there are reasons to expect a forward showing from Kingussie, trained in Gloucestershire by Ben Pauling.

Although an 8-year-old, the Diktat gelding didn’t see a racecourse until last May, when making a winning debut for Shaun Lycett in a ‘bumper’ at Stratford. Now with a yard that’s undeniably going places, he made a satisfactory debut over obstacles when fourth of 14, beaten 6½ lengths, behind Que Sera in a maiden hurdle at Towcester in December. That form has yet to be properly tested but, while the runner-up, Ballypoint, finished last of six in a Grade 2 contest at Haydock last week, the sixth, Scooter Boy, won a better maiden hurdle at Huntingdon earlier this month.

The form appears strong enough, in the context of this race, and Kingussie should improve for his first run for over a year. Indeed, having won on good going at Stratford, drying ground is almost certainly in his favour and his running style suggests that the step up to 2 miles 3 furlongs won’t do his chances any hard either. Jockey Nico De Boinville has a 10-40 (25%) strike rate for the yard this season, so there’s every reason to expect Kingussie to go well at a decent price.

Selection: Doncaster 3.40 Kingussie

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