Mountain Road 10/1 (6pl) – Newmarket 3.40
This looks like it could be one of the strongest renewals of the Cesarewitch in recent years, and I don't think you can discount last year's winner off a much higher mark. I have said many times that I really rate the Jim Goldie yard with their long-distance travellers, and given that Mountain Road has already been a selection on the page, and he has run well since, he gets my vote.
I tipped him up at the Shergar Cup, and considering I didn't think he had the best of rides, he ran very well. He proved that he is still in great form when he came from the rear in the Sky Bet Stayers' Handicap at York during Ebor Day. The winner that day was Small Fry, who I tipped up that day, and he was miles better than that field, being light-years ahead of the handicapper.
Paul Mulrennan takes the ride and goes to Newmarket for one ride only.
Stoneacre Donny 12/1 (5pl) – York 2.05
I am surprised to see that Stoneacre Donny is 12/1, as I thought he would have been a little shorter in the market based on his last couple of runs.
He was a bigger price earlier in the day, and it seems like some of the shrewdies have snapped up the 16s that were available, and if you were one of them, I think you have incredible value. This is not an easy race to win; you have plenty of other unexposed three-year-olds and some of the older horses turning up, but what I saw from Stoneacre Donny at this track in early September was impressive.
He started to motor clear over today's course and distance, and was eventually a 1.5-length eased-down winner. Last time out he ran in a very competitive three-year-old race, and still managed to run a blinder with things not going his way. He was repeatedly blocked when trying to find a passage and was only just over two lengths behind the winner. The form of that race looks strong, and the third-placed horse has come out and won since.
Dwindling Funds 16/1 (5pl) – York 2.40
Knowing that Dwindling Funds can handle himself at a higher level, it makes no sense that he is 16/1 for a race like this.
Not for one minute am I saying this is an easy race, because it most definitely isn't, but considering Dwindling Funds was five lengths behind the Cambridgeshire winner at Newmarket, it shows that he is a solid handicapper.
He won over today's course and distance earlier in the season off a 1lb lower mark, and he has gone close on other occasions at other tracks and in better class races at times. Rhys Elliot takes off 5lbs, so it does mean he is on a very tempting mark.
Stall 4 allows him to get a prominent position, but I hope Rhys doesn't feel the need to try and make the running, as there is a lot of competition for the lead.
Thunderbear 15/2 (3pl) – Naas 3.28
It takes a leap of faith to support Thunderbear for this race as he has not been in the same form this year, and maybe the years have caught up with him. However, if there was ever a time he was going to spring back to life, this is the race for that job.
He has won this race and been second in the last two renewals of this race, and if this venue was to allow him to bounce back to form, he's dangerous to fully underestimate.
The ground is soft at present, and with a little more rain expected to fall, he has no excuses.
GambleAware