13:25 Doncaster

Friday 27 January 2017

All12:5013:2013:2513:5013:5514:2514:5515:0015:2515:3015:5516:0016:25

Sky Bet Making Betting Better Handicap Hurdle (Northern Lights Stayers' Hurdle Qualifier)

Off time: 13:26 | Winning time: 5m 52.65s

Flatfoot Boogie¹³

Age: 12| Weight: 12-0| J: J J Burke| T: N F Glynn| OR: 122

25/1

Irish raider whose best form on home soil entitles him to respect from today's mark. Conditions should suit but would like to see him in slightly better form coming into this.

Form: 28365/F-

Berkeley Barron^p³⁹⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Ian Popham| T: R T Phillips| OR: 122

33/1

Reverts to hurdling after several abortive attempts over fences. 6lb below a Sandown Park handicap hurdle win (soft), though that was almost three years ago. Yard in good form and therefore cannot be ruled out.

Form: 915/6P4-

Crank Em Up²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr James King⁽⁵⁾| T: David Dennis| OR: 120

10/1

Steps into handicap company on the back of a Uttoxeter maiden hurdle win (3m, soft), although the form does not appear to be working out that well. Nonetheless, he has an improving profile and is an interesting proposition.

Form: 221-434

Midnight Cowboy¹⁸⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR: 119

3/1

Won by a nose with the third a further five lengths away here over 2m 4f last time and a 4lb rise looks fair, with the third having run well since and the fourth having won next time. Yard in tremendous form, though he has yet to prove he stays this far.

Form: 34123-3

Harry Hunt^p²⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: Kielan Woods| T: D Killahena & G McPherson| OR: 119

20/1

C&D winner from 8lb lower mark in 2015 (good) and has run with credit from today's mark since then. Little bit to prove today after a couple of ordinary efforts over hurdles and on the Fibresand since.

Form: 35893-2

Queens Present¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Tom Cannon| T: D W P Arbuthnot| OR: 118

12/1

Plumpton novices' hurdle winner on debut (2m 4f, good) and not a bad effort at Warwick last time, though this is a competitive enough handicap debut and not easy to assess how fairly he looks treated.

Form: 110334

Minstrel Royal³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: J McGrath| T: N J Henderson| OR: 117

8/1

Unusual profile in that he is yet to win in ten starts for Nicky Henderson, though went close to doing so over 2m 4f at Ascot two starts ago. Remains 2lb higher than that mark today, despite being well beaten at Ascot last time. May be seen to better effect back on a sound surface here but still has to prove he gets this trip.

Form: 3326P1-

Ghost River^b1³³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: S Bowen| T: P & M Bowen| OR: 115

15/2

Dual bumper winner two season ago and has thus far been unable to cope with the handicapper's assessment of his abilities. However, he has now slid to a competitive mark and with first-time headgear he could be involved, provided he acts as well on a sound surface.

Form: 9P-862P

Farm The Rock²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Benjamin Poste⁽³⁾| T: Katy Price| OR: 115

12/1

Step up in trip looks a positive for this point-to-point winner, who went well enough over 2m 4f at Exeter in November. Handicapper has had his say, however, and this looks a tough enough start in this sphere for him.

Form: 31-5524

Sunday Central⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: C Poste| T: T H Weston| OR: 113

66/1

Handicap debut for this lightly-raced bumper runner-up, though likely to stay on the evidence of his Uttoxeter run in December and sound surface also a positive.

Form: 425

Bendomingo³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Tom Humphries⁽⁷⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 113

7/1

Consistent in making the frame on four successive occasions at trips from 2m 4f to 3m. Up 4lb for the latest of those and while he would not be winning out of turn, he looks likely to find a couple too good once again.

Form: 32443-1

Midnight Gem⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: B S Hughes| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 109

8/1

Goes well on good ground, winning a 2m 4f Huntingdon handicap on it in November and has run well since then from today's 8lb higher mark and has fair claims.

Form: 133F62-

Bodega^p¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-1| J: Adrian Heskin| T: Ian Williams| OR: 109

14/1

Both turf wins have been with plenty of cut in the ground. Stays well and yard in decent form, so despite his apparent poor recent run of form he may be ready to show us more today from a lower mark.

Form: F21B6-8

Non-Runners

The Wallace Line³²

Weight: 11-12| Age: 6

T: Tim Vaughan J: Alan Johns

Wake Your Dreams³¹

Weight: 11-8| Age: 9

T: J Candlish J: Sean Quinlan

Lough Salt³¹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 6

T: M Walford J: Jake Greenall

Forecasts

Midnight Cowboy (3/1), Lough Salt (6/1), Bendomingo (7/1), Ghost River (15/2), Minstrel Royal (8/1), Midnight Gem (8/1), Crank Em Up (10/1), Queens Present (12/1), Farm The Rock (12/1), Bodega (14/1), Harry Hunt (20/1), The Wallace Line (20/1), Wake Your Dreams (20/1), Flatfoot Boogie (25/1), Berkeley Barron (33/1), Sunday Central (66/1)

A competitive heat which can go to MIDNIGHT COWBOYfor the in-form Alan King yard, as the race he won last time has worked out well so far and there should be more to come from him. Wake Your Dreams, Bendomingo and Ghost River should all be involved at the business end, while the handicapper has relented with Bodega, who might go well at a price. 1. Midnight Cowboy 2. Bodega 3. Bendomingo