Andrew Asquith had a 6/1 winner last weekend and returns with two more bets for this weekend's action.
Weekend View: Saturday March 29
1pt win Mount Atlas in the 2.40 Kempton at 6/1 (General)
1pt e.w. win Godwinson in the 3.35 Doncaster at 16/1 (1/4 1,2,3,4 - William Hill, 888, Betvictor)
I love this time of year, warmer temperatures are upon us, lighter nights are firmly on the horizon but, more importantly, Flat racing returns at Doncaster on Saturday.
It looks another competitive renewal of the William Hill Lincoln Handicap, if not an outstanding one, and the horse for money this morning is the very well-bred Midnight Gun, who ended last season finishing runner-up over the same course and distance. He’s 5lb higher in the weights on his return, but he’s just the sort to progress further as a four-year-old, while he’s also been gelded; he ticks plenty of boxes.
The same can be said for market leader Thunder Run, another lightly-raced four-year-old who started favourite for the Balmoral Handicap on his final start, and is an archetypal horse for the Lincoln on paper.
However, I think there is some upside to backing the William Haggas-trained GODWINSON at around 16/1.
Haggas is a trainer who has won the Lincoln three times since 2007, notably with Penitent and multiple Group 1 winner Addeybb. Now, I’m not suggesting Godwinson is destined to reach similar heights, but he is a relatively unexposed five-year-old who remains at the right end of the handicap in my opinion.
He ran a cracker on his seasonal return in the Spring Cup at Newbury last season, starting favourite for that event and beaten only half a length in second. Godwinson tanked through that race like a horse some way ahead of his mark, but he took longer than expected to pick up, still appearing to be learning on the job having had just three starts as a three-year-old.
Once he hit top gear, he really rattled home, making up plenty of ground despite lugging to his left somewhat. He disappointed when starting 7/4 favourite for another competitive handicap at Newbury on his next start, and wasn’t suited by a steady pace upped to a mile and a quarter at York after that, but he won well enough at Goodwood on his fourth start of the year despite leaving the impression he wasn't in love with the idiosyncratic track.
He had Midnight Gun - who travelled into the race best of al - in behind on that occasion when conceding 1lb and he will meet that rival on 8lb better terms on Saturday. You can make excuses for his next start in the Cambridgeshire given he wasn’t well placed and it can be hard to make up ground on the Rowley Mile, while the soft ground and first-time cheekpieces didn’t suit him in the Balmoral when last seen.
He's a lengthy type who should have even more to offer this year and it is worth noting that his two best runs last season came off a break. He is seemingly a horse who is best fresh and a strongly-run mile, over a straight track, on what will likely be good-to-soft ground, should bring out the best in him and, interestingly, he is the only entry Haggas has at Doncaster on Saturday.
There is also an excellent card at Kempton on Saturday and the Rosebery Handicap is another early-season favourite of mine. If there is one stand out horse among the entries in this year’s renewal who has the potential to be rated much higher by the end of the year then it is the Andrew Balding-trained MOUNT ATLAS.
He’s from the family of the same connections’ Group 1 winner Elm Park and, while he didn’t make the most promising start to his career, he progressed at a rate of knots from his second run, well backed to open his account in soft ground over a mile and a quarter at Redcar in May.
Mount Atlas didn’t run too badly in another novice event under a penalty over a mile and a half at this course next time, but he took another leap forward in form terms when resuming winning ways on his handicap debut at Ascot in a race which worked out very well – in third was Tabletalk, who went on to win the Melrose at York, while further behind smart dual-purpose Burdett Road bolted up in a Listed event at Newmarket later in the season.
He was raised 7lb in the weights for that success but still shaped like a horse ahead of his mark when sent off favourite for the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket on his final start, readily beaten in the end by an even better handicapped one though still pulling clear of the remainder.
It was hard not to draw your eye to Mount Atlas on that occasion, too, cruising into contention and looking the likeliest winner when they past the two-furlong marker – he traded at 1.14 in-running on Betfair – only to be headed by Sun God who really motored home.
That was over a mile and a half, but Mount Atlas has such a high cruising speed, he appeals as a horse who won't be deterred by this drop back to 11 furlongs, particularly on his return from nearly six months off. He’s been gelded in the off-season, which can have a positive effect, and his physique suggests he’ll do even better as a four-year-old also. Mount Atlas returns from just a 4lb higher mark and his strong-travelling style will lend itself well with this return to the all-weather racing.
- Preview posted 1550 GMT on 25/03/2025
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