IT'S GREAT to be back writing my blog for Unibet which I hope you’ll enjoy reading throughout the flat season and hopefully back plenty of winners! Things have been ticking along steadily during the winter and we’ve had a few winners on the All-Weather but this is the time of year when things really go up a notch and our attention turn towards the Unibet Lincoln meeting at Doncaster and then the Classic Trials at Newbury and Newmarket in the next two weeks or so. Our horses are relatively forward but, as with most horses at this time of year, the majority can be expected to improve for their first runs. Oh This Is Us was entered in the Unibet Lincoln but will instead now head to Lingfield for AWC Finals Day on Good Friday. He didn’t like it around Wolverhampton last time but will be much more at home at Lingfield and he’s been training well. We have a whole host of two year olds who are doing well including a Dubawi son of our four-time Group One heroine Sky Lantern. Obviously it’s very early days but he’s a big strong (grey) colt who is showing all the right signs. We worked a few at Kempton on Tuesday and sons of Dream Ahead and Night Of Thunder were two who are pretty forward. Walkinthesand, Kuwait Currency, Star Terms, Billesdon Brook, Magical Wish, Yafta, Beat Le Bon, Raymond Tusk, Star Of War, Boitron and Dragon Moon are just a few names who we’re particularly looking forward to seeing on the track this season but we’re very lucky that we have plenty more smart horses in training so I hope to add to that list!
Anyway, enough of that, we’re in action at Doncaster and Kempton this weekend so read on to learn how I think they’ll figure.
DONCASTER
3:00 Unibet Doncaster Mile
Red Starlight (Tom Marquand)
I really like this horse as she’s a very tough, sweet filly and has been ready to go for a while. Obviously it’s her first run of the season so she will only improve but she’s as straight as I can get her at home and this looks a great starting point. There’s nothing not to like about her form as she even beat the current Lincoln favourite, Auxerre, at Newmarket last June (giving him weight) so there’s every reason to suggest she can go very well in this race on ground that is ideal.
3:35 Unibet Lincoln
Wahash (Tom Marquand)
I was very pleased with his run at Wolverhampton and while it wasn’t spectacular he’s a big horse now who takes a lot of getting fit so he’ll come on leaps and bounds for that run. We took him away to Kempton the other day as well so he’s as good as I can get him. He’s a tough horse and you can finish 9th in the Unibet Lincoln and still run well because it’s such a competitive race and much of it depends on where you’re drawn and where the pace is but the likes of Humbert and Major Jumbo, who tend to sit handy, are drawn close to us so we should be on the right side, hopefully!
Unibet are paying 7 places on the Unibet Lincoln from 9am on the day of the race.
He could run a big race. He’s quite tough now and that’s what you need to be going into the @Unibetsport Lincoln … but who is Richard referring to?! Click on the below link to watch the full @UnibetRacing video ! #RH https://t.co/rgYIzgCeey pic.twitter.com/yNgyGAqs8n
— Richard Hannon (@rhannonracing) March 28, 2019
4:45 Maiden
Allocator (Tom Marquand)
He tends to be a little slow away leaving the stalls so we’ve done lots of practice on that front and he seems to be learning all the time. I’m not quite sure he stayed 1m4f (around Lingfield) last time so we’re going back down here and the good ground will suit.
KEMPTON
3:15 Handicap
Nayel (Rossa Ryan)
This will be his first run in the All-Weather and he goes well fresh but this looks a fiercely competitive race and he’d almost need to produce a career best to win as I’m not sure how much room for manoeuvre there is off his mark of 93.
3:50 Novice Stakes
Chatham House (Sean Levey)
I’m amazed he’s still a Maiden as he has plenty of talent and I’ve no doubt his winning time isn’t far away. He galloped around Kempton on Tuesday and worked very well so I’m very pleased with him. I don’t think he’ll have any worries with the surface and I fancy him to run a big race.
Osho (Rossa Ryan)
He’s very well bred and is a half-brother to Indian Ink who dad trained to win a Coronation Stakes on soft ground so it will be interesting to see what his ideal conditions will be when we switch to the turf. I thought he ran with promise on debut at Lingfield and he’ll only improve for the outing so could easily finish in the money.
4:25 Handicap
Magical Wish (Rossa Ryan)
He had a load of second places last year but is a colt I really like and have plenty of time for. He has a lot of ability with speed to go with it and I don’t see any reason why he can’t continue in the same vein of form as a three year old. Top weight is never ideal but it does means (in theory) he’s the best horse in the race and I think he’s matured plenty during the winter. I expect him to go extremely close.
