Andrew Asquith had a 6/1 winner last weekend and returns with three selections at Doncaster this Saturday in his latest ante-post column.
Weekend View: Saturday September 13
1pt e.w. Venture Capital in the Portland Handicap at 16/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4)
1pt e.w. Room Service in the Park Stakes at 14/1 (bet365, Ladbrokes 1/5 1,2,3)
1pt e.w. Furthur in the St Leger at 14/1 (bet365, Betway 1/5 1,2,3)
Capital gains back on Town Moor
The ground at Doncaster at the time of writing is described as good to soft, soft in places, and with an unsettled forecast later in the week, we should be looking at an easy surface come Saturday.
I’m going to start in the Betfred Portland Handicap which, looking at the entries, should be another typically competitive renewal of this long-standing handicap. There are some interesting three-year-olds, but subsequent Group 1 winner Oxted was the last of the Classic generation to win the Portland in 2019, while Compton Banker in 2000 was the only other winner of the same age this century.
Those stats don’t knock you off your feet, so I’m going to go with experience over potential, and it is the Kevin Ryan-trained VENTURE CAPITAL who makes most appeal at the prices.
He won a competitive three-year-old handicap at this meeting 12 months ago over a bare five furlongs on ground Timeform described as good to soft, and he has left the impression he’s ready to strike on his last two starts since cheekpieces were fitted.
Venture Capital travelled well when narrowly beaten by a back-to-form Grandlad – who has won again since – at Hamilton early last month, and again impressed with how he moved through his race at Ascot last time.
That was just seven days later, but he was one of the last to come off the bridle, and his position on the wing didn’t help him as he more than likely wouldn’t have been able to see the winner go for home when he did.
The handicapper has generously dropped him 1lb since, putting him back down to the same mark as when winning at this course 12 months ago, and also at Ripon earlier this season. He is versatile regards ground and had a very good autumn last year.
This will likely be run at a strong pace and the timefigures Venture Capital has recorded the last twice suggest he should be very competitive at a track which suits him well, while the extra distance should also suit (two-time winner over seven furlongs earlier in his career).
Room with a (Weekend) View
I’ll be hoping Kevin Ryan has a good weekend as my next selection comes from the same yard in the shape of ROOM SERVICE in the Betfred Park Stakes.
He also has winning form at Doncaster, in fact, he’s unbeaten in two starts at the track, winning a valuable sales race as a juvenile, and a listed event towards the backend of last season.
Both of those wins were at around six furlongs, but he’s a horse who has always shaped like seven furlongs or further would suit him better, and I put him up in this space for the John of Gaunt Stakes (won by Ten Bob Tony) earlier in the season with that in mind.
That was his seasonal reappearance and he drifted like a barge prior to the race, the combination of faster ground than ideal and his first run back obvious causes, but he shaped very well, not getting the clearest run and doing all of his best work at the finish.
Room Service backed that up when runner-up to Quinault in the Criterion Stakes at York next time (replay below), the ground again a little too lively for him, off the bridle some way out but sticking to his task well, just having no chance from his position with the all-the-way winner at a track where it is often hard to make up such ground.
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His run in Ireland last time clearly wasn’t his true running, so I’m not going to dwell on that much, and I just think the return to Doncaster on ground which will more than likely have some cut in it will enable him to show his true colours.
Furthur the better for Balding colt
In the St Leger itself, Aidan O’Brien holds a strong hand with half of the field, and two who dominate the market in Scandinavia and dual Derby winner Lambourn. Will he run both? Who knows, but they do set a high standard for the others at which to aim.
However, with most bookmakers are offering three places in the ante-post markets in a race which will more than likely cut up to some extent, it looks a good opportunity to have an each-way bet, and it is the Andrew Balding-trained FURTHUR who takes my eye.
He was comprehensively beaten by Lambourn in the Chester Vase, but finished in front of Scandinavia in the Queen’s Vase won by Carmers at Royal Ascot. He wasn’t right when a disappointing last of five in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket won by Scandinavia, but showed his true colours when an impressive winner of the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury last time.
That performance confirmed himself a smart stayer who is very much on the up and 14/1 looks appealing with that in mind. Furthur showed a lot more speed than previously in what was a steadily-run race, in full control when asked to lengthen around two furlongs out and just kept up to his work to be well on top at the line.
He’s a horse who is clearly getting better and better and his previous experience in such events will stand him in good stead. His sire, Waldgeist, who won the Arc, was a horse who progressed with time and experience, and Furthur has seemingly inherited those traits.
A galloping track such at Doncaster, which has similarities to Newbury, will play to his strengths, while he also moves like ground with some cut in it will suit him well, too.
Published at 1400 BST on 09/09/25
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