Ghalyoon


Ghalyoon did well to finish third in the six-and-a-half-furlong handicap. Held up early on at the rear of the field, they didn't go a great pace early on, and the Invincible Spirit gelding went freely through the first two furlongs. Moved towards the far side when they quickened, he had plenty of ground to make up on the leaders, but he picked up well and ran all the way to the line, against the inside rail, which may not have been the ideal place to be on the track.

Ghalyoon is five now, but this was just his fifth race. Raced once as a three-year-old when he was with John Gosden, he ran well on his debut last season, his first run for Marcus Tregoning, in finishing second in a Newmarket maiden last June, and he stepped up on that the following month in winning a novice stakes over seven furlongs at Salisbury when he beat Saturday's listed race winner Posted by a half a length. He didn't run again last season, but he put up a good performance on his debut this season at Doncaster, his first run after a wind operation, to finish second to Magical Wish, who only just failed to follow up at Goodwood next time. He raced off a mark of 87 that day on his handicap debut. He raced off a mark of 88 on Friday, and the handicapper raised him by 2lb for that run, but he has the potential to go higher than his new mark of 90. He holds an entry in a seven-furlong handicap at Newmarket on Saturday, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

Doncaster, 11th September 2020




Burning Cash


Burning Cash was a 150/1 shot for the Flying Childers, but he out-run those odds by a long way with a fine performance to finish fourth behind Ubettabelieveit. He was unlucky not to finish closer too. He travelled well through his race in the far side group and, still last of the seven horses in that group on the run to the furlong pole, he picked up when Paul Mulrennan asked him to, but he ran out of racing room when Ubettabelieveit and Steel Bull converged in front of him. Switched to his left and into the clear, he ran on again close home to take fourth place, just losing out on third to Measure Of Magic, who raced against the stands rail.

This was a career-best from Paul Midgley's horse, but he obviously deserved his place in the line-up in this Group 2 contest. He won his maiden at Chepstow in July by seven lengths and, if he hadn't been beaten at a relatively short price at Hamilton on soft ground on his final run before Friday, he wouldn't have been allowed go off at such a big price. It may be that he was flattered by this run, and by his Chepstow win, when he raced up the rail, but it is more likely that he is a talented individual who may be under-rated again.

Doncaster, 11th September 2020




Barbill


Barbill did well to finish as close as he did in the Portland Handicap. He was squeezed out of it just after they had gone 50 yards as Han Solo Berger and Danzeno converged in front of him. As a result, he was on the back foot from early and playing catch-up. Third last after they had gone two furlongs, he came under pressure early, but he responded well. He kept on strongly on the far side to get up for sixth place behind Stone Of Destiny and Danzeno, closest at the finish. He was in third place a couple of yards after the winning line.

It was a fine run by Mick Channon's horse in the circumstances. He was obviously hindered by the interference that he suffered at the start, and he raced on the far side from his low draw. He and Danzeno were the only two horses who finished in the first six from low draws, and the impressive winner came down the stands side from stall 18. As well as that, he was probably racing over a trip (five and a half furlongs) that was a little short of his best, and on ground (good) that was a little faster than ideal. He ran again last Saturday in the Ayr Gold Cup, but the race came up quickly after the Portland, just a week afterwards, and the ground probably wasn't as soft at Ayr as he ideally likes it.

He has raced 26 times, he is not obviously unexposed, but he is only four, young for a sprinter, and he has been in good form this season since he was gelded. Three of his five runs this term have been up there with the best of his career. He will be of interest now on easier ground as we move into the autumn, ideally over six furlongs. The handicapper has dropped him by 3lb to a mark of 99, which is just 2lb higher than the mark off which he won at Chester in August, and that gives him a chance. He goes well at Haydock and Newbury and Chester.

Doncaster, 12th September 2020




Matthew Flinders


There was a lot to like about the performance that Matthew Flinders put up in winning the one-mile handicap. Ed Walker's horse settled nicely for Tom Marquand early on, towards the far side, sixth or seventh of the 12 runners. He made nice progress to move in behind the leaders at the three-furlong marker, and he picked up well to join the front rank on the run to the furlong pole. From there, he was always in command. Magical Morning finished well on the near side, but it always looked like Matthew Flinders was holding him, and he kept on well to win by just over a length.

The handicapper raised the Siyouni colt by 5lb for this win to a mark of 97, but he appeared to win with more in hand than the bare winning margin, and there is every reason to believe that he can step forward again. Unraced as a juvenile, he has progressed with racing this season. He won a novice stakes over 10 furlongs at Doncaster at the end of June and, on his last run before Saturday, he finished a close up third (demoted to fourth) in a good one-mile handicap at Sandown (from which the runner-up Raaeq came out and won last Friday, over the same course and distance off a 2lb higher mark), when he was a little keener than ideal and a little wider than ideal. A half-brother to Pacharana, who won seven times over 10 and 12 furlongs, out of a half-sister to St Nicholas Abbey, a well-run mile obviously suits him well, but he also gets 10 furlongs, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

Doncaster, 12th September 2020




State Of Rest


The Joseph O'Brien-trained Galileo Chrome stole a lot of the headlines last Saturday with a game and classy performance to win the St Leger, but the performance that his stable companion State Of Rest put up in finishing third in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes earlier on the day may have gone a little under the radar.

Settled nicely just behind the leaders early on by Tom Marquand, the Starspangledbanner colt came under a ride on the run to the two-furlong marker as Chindit and Albasheer moved up easily on either side of him. He could have wilted at that point and faded out of it, but he responded well to pressure. He kept on well between the the two market leaders, despite the fact that it got a little bit tight, and, while if never really looked like he was going to overhaul them, he stayed on gallantly all the way to the line to get to within a short head of runner-up Albarsheer, just a length behind Chindit, with the three of them clear.

A close-up fifth in the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown last month, Joseph O'Brien's colt ran a big race to finish fourth in the Ballyhane Stakes at Naas on his last run before Saturday when, switched behind runners to the near side by Declan McDonogh, he did best of the low-drawn horses, staying on well late on to get up for fourth place, just missing out on third. This was a step forward from that, and there is every chance that he can step forward again now. His dam is a half-sister to Echo River, who finished second in a May Hill Stakes over a mile as a juvenile, and to Prince Alzain, who won a listed race over 10 furlongs, and State Of Rest could improve again for a step up to a mile. He holds entries in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket and in the Beresford Stakes at The Curragh over that distance on Saturday, and he will be of interest if he lines up in either contest.

Doncaster, 12th September 2020

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