Saturday sees the start of the flat season in the UK. There are some decent races, and better races at Meydan if you're into that.
Montassib 9/2 – Doncaster 1.50
At first, I thought Montassib wasn't a great bet, but when you look through the race and figure out it's quite weak, it turns out he is the most likely winner.
Last year definitely didn't go to plan for Montassib. He returned to action very late in the season, and that resulted in him having only three runs. He didn't show the same level of form that we saw from him in 2024, but it was enough to suggest that races like this are well within his capabilities.
He won this race in 2024 on his first start of the year, so we know it's a race that they target. I think he has more to answer this time around, which means the odds available should be juicy.
Eternal Force 4/1 – Doncaster 3.32
This is a wide-open race, but it often goes to the horse who is supremely well-handicapped and goes on to be a Group-level performer. La Botte is the one that my eye got drawn to straight away. He has shown he handles the hustle and bustle of the large fields, as he was placed at Royal Ascot and was arguably an unlucky loser. He is definitely a Group horse for the future, but he's going to be given an ice-cold ride by Spencer, which is off-putting.
Eternal Force could be a horse who cements himself this year as a very smart performer. He was impressive at Haydock on his final start last year, and he has matured over the winter months and is ready to strike first time out. He's a huge player.
Super Crown 4/1 – Doncaster 4.05
I'm not a huge fan of backing horses on their debut runs, but William Haggas knows what he's doing, and the fact this horse has entries in the Derby and Irish Derby suggests this lad could be well above average.
William isn't a trainer who wastes his time in races like that. Granted, it's only an entry, but he will know the level of a horse. He was an expensive purchase (950,000gns) as a yearling and has a very nice pedigree.
This is a winnable race as far as debuts go on big Saturday cards, and with the yard in decent form, I'll take my chances.
Cathedral 5/2 – Kempton 3.13
I've never managed to get Cathedral right. I've always believed in her ability, but she is a strange horse. By that statement, I mean that she doesn't win races you expect her to, but she then runs huge races in Group 1's.
This looks like a great starting point for the new season, and on paper, she only has to contend with Survie. On older pieces of form, Survie would run away with this, as she was very good when trained in France. However, I don't think is a foregone conclusion as Cathedral was very solid in the big races last year, including a fourth at the Breeders' Cup.
Her run in September, when finishing fourth behind Fallen Angel at Leopardstown, puts her in with a solid chance. Obviously, her run in America is the standout piece of form, but that was over further.
GambleAware