Preview and tips for Friday’s meeting at Doncaster

Friday will host an eight-race card, which gets underway at 1.23 with a division one handicap in class six before rounding off at 5.30 with a class five handicap.

The opener (1.23) sees 13 runners head to post to tackle the 7f trip - and it looks to be a straight shot between two of them. King Of Ithaca, trained by James Tate, is back down in class having been a disappointment at Chelmsford on the all-weather last time out, while Nights Of Egypt for trainer Rebecca Menzies is back in good order having landed a 13-runner Thirsk handicap on his last outing.

Race two (1.58) is another 7f handicap, this time in division two of class six and preference here is for Ratafia, who has won three times in their last four starts, beating eight rivals last time out at Newcastle and can defy a 2lb push up in the weights to make it four wins from five.

The third race of the afternoon (2.33) should go the way of Midnight’s Dream, who found only one better on debut last time out and that was leading 2000 Guineas chance Night Raider so the Roger Varian-trained three-year-old is backed to go one better here, with the main threat coming from Upscale, who was a promising second on debut at Newmarket.

Race four (3.08) looks to be all about Juneberry for the powerhouse John and Thady Gosden team, slightly green in two previous appearances but is clearly well-bred to be a solid horse. That said, a very appealing newcomer on paper for the George Boughey yard is Twilight Vision, bought for 200,000gns as a foal and then sold for 360,000gns as a yearling out of the mighty impressive Sea The Stars, so the appeal is certainly there.

The progressive Our Golden One should be the one to beat in race five (3.40) with top jockey Hollie Doyle on board for the 1m2f handicap in class four, while race six (4.15) looks to be all about Ya Hafhd for the Varian team, a twice-raced winner who is very much open to progress now sent handicapping for the first time.

The penultimate race on the card (4.55) sees 16 runners head to the stalls for the 1m3f class five handicap and promising daughter of superstar sire Frankel, A Gift Of Love, is the selection over Fiddlers Green, a winner at Bath just over a week ago. Another of interest is Clear White Light, who is turned out quickly having scored in an 11-runner handicap at Catterick on Wednesday.

Finally, the card comes to a close with the 14-runner handicap over a mile at 5.30 and preference is for Flying Finn, who made winning handicap debut at Ripon last week and can defy the penalty she will be saddling for that success.

Doncaster selections - Friday (via Punchestown odds)

1.23 - Nights Of Egypt

1.58 - Ratafia

2.33 - Midnight’s Dream

3.08 - Juneberry

3.40 - Our Golden One

4.15 - Ya Hafhd

4.55 - A Gift Of Love

5.30 - Flying Finn