Jaysella’s Saturday Selections for 29th March 2025

Jaysella’s Saturday Selections from Doncaster & The Curragh

Doncaster

William Hill Top Price Guarantee EBF Brocklesby Stakes 1.15
Norman’s Cay
To get the season off to a winning start, I’m going to side with Richard Hannon’s Norman’s Cay for the Brocklesby. This Sioux Nation colt is sure to be a speedy type, and his trainer knows how to ready one for this two year old sprint. Richard Hannon won this in 2022 with the smart Persian Force, so David Egan is in the hot seat, with a super draw in Stall 8 to get over to the Stand side rail. Alice Haynes also does well with her youngsters, so Sucking Diesel may be the one to chase Norman’s Cay home.

William Hill Bet £10 Get £10 Spring Mile Handicap 1.50
Pressure’s On
Ed Dunlop can take the honours with Pressure’s On for the Spring Mile Handicap. This Land Force gelding finished like a steam train at Wolverhampton three weeks back, just running out of track to take the win from David Loughnane’s Follow Your Heart, so this extra furlong on Doncaster’s flat course can show him at his best. It’s a big field, so likely to be split into two, or possibly three groups, but Pressure’s On is next to Richard Fahey’s Our Havana, so there’ll be plenty of pace in their group. This pair were closely matched at Newmarket last season, but Pressure’s On can reverse the placings to take this under the brilliant Rossa Ryan.

William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes (Listed) 2.25
Marshman (nap)
I had a bit of a focus on this race with Barney in the podcast this week, and it’s Marshman that’s getting my attention. He’s been in great form on the all-weather, scoring at Newcastle and Lingfield, before just getting collared late on in a Listed race by Clarendon House last time out. All said, that’s pretty smart form to bring to this, while stablemate Spycatcher is next door in Stall 3 to ensure there’s plenty of pace out of the gate. Clive Cox’s James’s Delight ran a few blinders last term, including runner-up to Spycatcher in the Prix de Meautry at Deauville, and Witness Stand can also get into the shake-up. Marshman to continue a fine run of form and take the Cammidge, with Spycatcher keeping him honest.

William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes (Listed) 3.00
Dancing Gemini
I going to go for Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini for the Doncaster Mile. I just remember how close he got to Metropolitan in the French 2,000 Guineas at ParisLongchamp, and that was on his first run of the season. If Dancing Gemini gets anywhere close to that performance, he’s ging to be very hard to peg back, and he did win by a wide margin on this track in the Flying Scotsman Stakes as a two year old, just adding to my case for. Witch Hunter for Richard Hannon and Ed Bethell’s Point Lynas are either side of Dancing Gemini, so I think that’s where all the pace is going to come from, while plenty of money has gone down on Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane this week, and these four are the ones for me. Dancing Gemini to string them all out with a blazing run down the Stand side rail.

William Hill Lincoln (Heritage Handicap) 3.35
Thunder Run
Just about the hardest job in the world on Saturday is picking one out of this lot for you lot. Well, I got my pin out, and it landed on Thunder Run! My eyes were closed…..honestly! On the plus side, Thunder Run put in a good shift when fourth in the Balmoral on Champions Day at Ascot to wrap up last season, and that ground had plenty of cut in it, so with a great draw in Stall 19, every chance he’s going to be in the thick of it. This Doncaster track is a bit more forgiving than Ascot in the final two furlongs, so Thunder Run shouldn’t lack for stamina at the business end. On the negatives, Wathnan Racing line up a strong pair in Native Warrior and Midnight Gun, the choice of James Doyle, there’s the winner of the Irish Lincolnshire, Orandi trying his luck, while David Menuisier, who won this in 2023 has booked rising star Warren Fentiman to ride Toimy Son, with the 5lb claimer getting a bit of weight from Thunder Run in the stall next door. At bigger odds, William Haggas’s Godwinson is the sort to take something like this but will have to make his effort from the far side group, while George Boughey’s Oliver Show also enters the lucky draw. Thunder Run got the pin, so that’s where my money is, though it is fingers crossed as it’s not traditionally a race for favourite backers!

William Hill More Top Prices Maiden Stakes 4.10
Bedouin Prince
We absolutely loved Bedouin Prince’s sire, Ghaiyyath, winner of the Juddmonte International in his stellar final season in 2020, and have every hope that Bedouin Prince will be just as good. He’s a hot favourite to take this after just one start as a two year old, and if he’s just half the horse that Ghaiyyath was, he’ll be winning this. That’s why the bookies aren’t taking any chances, and I don’t blame them. Ralph Beckett’s Square Necker is an interesting debutante, but it’s Bedouin Prince that floats my boat from Charlie Appleby’s powerhouse yard.

The Curragh

Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes (Listed) 4.00
Camille Pissarro (nb)
A cracker in store at The Curragh, where Camille Pissarro should get upsides of British raider Poet Master. My reasoning is that there’s not much between them, but can Poet Master give Camille Pissarro 7lbs, despite having won the Group 2 Minstrel over course and distance last year. I do get it that Poet Master goes well fresh, but Camille Pissarro gets a more favourable draw inside of Poet Master, so with Charles O’Brien’s Big Gossey also likely to make a run across from his wide draw, Poet Master could be squeezed for room. Ryan Moore prefers Camille Pissarro to Officer, and that’s good enough for me, so sorry Poet Master, can’t see you winning this.