Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Three points of interest
Gentle Warrior hard to oppose
Gentle Warrior has only finished out of the first three in handicaps once and, from a handicapping perspective, he’s very hard to oppose in the Xenon Workplace Handicap (14:10) at Chester.
He gained due reward for his consistency when resuming winning ways in fine style over a mile and three quarters at Haydock last week, relishing the step up in trip, always travelling well and just driven out after being produced to lead around two furlongs out.
That was an apprentice race, which means he escapes a penalty or a rise in the weights and, given he is totally unexposed at this trip, he is very hard to oppose racing from the same mark – he’s at least 4lb clear on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
Note O’Brien runner in Flying Childers
The Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes (14:25) at Doncaster is one of few British juvenile pattern races which Aidan O’Brien targets – he’s had just four runners this century, the latest in 2018 – so you have to take note of Mission Central in this year’s renewal.
He’s from the excellent family of Dewhurst Stakes winner Xaar who was too green to do himself justice on debut at Dundalk in April, but proved a different proposition following a gelding operation when opening his account by eight lengths at the Curragh last month.
Mission Central routed his rivals in the manner rarely seen over six furlongs on that occasion, and he improved further to follow up in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes over the same course and distance last time.
Again, he was very dominant that day, in control some way out, though he was a bit ungainly off the bridle, carrying his head awkwardly and allowing the chasing pack to close in. Mission Control is clearly progressing all of the time and given how much raw speed he possesses, he’ll have no problem dropping back to five furlongs, he may even be liberated by it.
Sweet William can record back-to-back wins in Doncaster Cup
Sweet William is a model of consistency in these staying events, yet to finish out of the frame since winning this race 12 months ago, and he must have a big chance of making it back-to-back wins in the Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes (15:00).
He wasn’t quite at his best on his first two starts back this season, but he didn’t do much wrong when third to St Leger favourite Scandinavia and Illinois in the Goodwood Cup, and he found only stablemate and arguably the best stayer around Trawlerman in the Lonsdale Cup at York last time.
Sweet William travelled better than he did at Goodwood and briefly looked a bigger threat than what he was to Trawlerman when nursed into contention. He didn’t find as much as his high-class stablemate, though he was comfortably on top on the remainder.
Likely softer ground will be no issue for him and, in this field, a similar sort of performance should see him be hard to beat under regular rider Rab Havlin.
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