Doncaster sees a stellar seven race card on Saturday and to start we have gone with the Michael Dods trained Troubador in the Listed Doncaster Stakes.
The two year old looks the one to beat on form having not finished outside the top two places in his last seven contests with three wins and four seconds.
Last time out the juvenile gave a career best performance in a Listed event at Redcar behind a really smart youngster and if coming on for that run he has the ideal surface to go well.
The first race of the day at Prestbury Park sees a superb field of chasers head to post with most of them looking to get their campaigns off to a stellar start.
The horse that takes the eye for us is the Colin Tizzard trained West Approcach who on his last run of the season failed to land a gamble at Sandown but still retains plenty of ability.
He has been used over both hurdles and fences frequently during his career with his past performances at Cheltenham being to a good standard.
The yard has made a good start to the season and at a nice each way price should not be overlooked.
The first Group Three of the afternoon is the St Simon Stakes over 1 mile 4 furlongs and the field is full of runners that enjoy soft, tricky conditions.
The form horse and our fancy is the Andrew Balding trained Morando who in his last two runs has got back to his best especially in these conditions.
He is a course and distance in his career and also finished a smart second here two starts ago behind a useful runner in similar conditions.
He franked that form by winning at Ascot over 12 furlongs in a decent Group Three and the wetter it is for the race the more he will relish in the conditions.
The Mastersons Holdings Class 2 Hurdle over two miles looks a decent race with proven hurdlers from last season making their return to jumps racing.
Trainer Peter Fahey has an interesting runner with Soviet Pimpernel who is a very lightly raced gelding that has already won on both his starts this season.
Before that he raced twice last season placing in both his events in bumpers but having now won over hurdles on his last start he has to be taken seriously in conditions he likes.
The second and final Group contest of the afternoon at Newbury sees the Cancom Stakes over seven furlongs and Kinross for Ralph Beckett looks the one to beat.
This two year old colt has only raced once during his career but got off the mark at Newmarket in taking style beating 15 runners which included some already proven winners.
That form has since been franked with the Godolphin horse that was second tat day since going on to win and if handling the heavy conditions this son of Kingman could be interesting.
Duke Of Navan in the Randox Health Handicap Chase over two miles is our selection for this contest with the Nicky Richards trained veteran an overall smart performer.
In his final race of last season he fell but before that put in some nice performances and if correcting his jumping in the off season should go well here.
He finished second in this exact race last season in similar conditions which shows he goes well fresh and that might be the big thing he has over a lot of these horses.
In the feature race on the card the Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes we have gone with The favourite on the day in the expensive Mogul and this 3,400,000 Guineas purchase looks a class above the rest in this field having won his last two events in taking style.
He made is debut back in August finishing second but looked like he needed the experience for the run more than anything and from there has massively improved.
He scored at the Curragh next time out in a Maiden and then last time out at Leopardstown took the Group Two Champions Juvenile Stakes which is he best form heading into the contest.
The Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier over three miles sees some favourites at Cheltenham last season come back for another crack at the whip.
With a decent field of runners going to post we have two selections and the first is the top weighted Tobefair who finished last season in tremendous form with two seconds and a win.
He finished second behind a smart gamble at the festival last season in the race he is qualifying for in this contest which if getting back to that form straight away makes him the one to beat.
Potters Legend is another gelding we are fond of in this one with the Lucy Wadham trained nine year old winning on her final start of last season at Haydock that reads well form wise.
The Class 2 Handicap over five furlongs sees a big field of runners with many familiar faces and frequent sprinter Copper Knight for Tim Easterby can finish his season well here.
The five year old has had a prolific season racing racing 13 times with the majority of them to a high standard and at 16/1 for this contest looks hugely overpriced.
He needs to be better than what he has been on his last two runs but if getting back to the same form that saw him win a handicap and Listed event at York in conditions he likes he should not be far away.
