Doncaster Friday with Stainsby Girl

Well it is certainly not as good an opportunity for Stainsby Girl as the novice hurdle - subsequently cancelled - appeared to present at Newcastle last Saturday.

Indeed!

Stainsby Girl runs in her first handicap (OR115) in a Class 3 0-130 hurdle over 2 miles at Doncaster on Friday. The going at the Yorkshire venue is currently described as 'soft' and it looks to remain so, with steady rain forecast from mid morning. Stainsby Girl's race, a mares only, is at 3.40pm.

There are 13 declared runners.

There are 2 or 3 exposed horses lining up, and several that are not certain to be ideally suited by the trip and/or the testing conditions. But that still leaves around 5 or 6 horses with bright chances.
Our Hexham rival, Miah Grace, is in attendance and on the handicap ratings there shouldn't be much between us but Miah Grace ran a cracking race last time at Huntingdon when finishing 3rd having taken the unfavoured inside line. She's progressing well.
Phillip Hobbs runs the lightly raced, ex-French, JP McManus owned 4yr old Gelboe de Chaney who is surely capable of better than the form of her two run in this country. She is a lively outsider.
But there are a couple of progressive mares here, that look sure to dominate the race. Nikap finished 5th in a Listed Hurdle at Newbury at the end of November and a repeat of that form, dropped in class here, would see her challenging for victory.

But the real standout, and favourite, is Lucy Wadham's Miss Heritage. She won a handicap 8 days ago in a canter at Huntingdon (heavy) and although shouldering a 7lb penalty for that success, she still remains 7lb well in on latest handicap ratings. The one to beat.

The hope is for a good pace to be set which will help our mare to settle but it does look like she will be in the contest for a minor place berth at best.

Stainsby Girl

Musselburgh Thursday

Paper Roses plugged on into 3rd place at Musselburgh on Thursday, but she didn't seem to be enjoying the experience very much.

The 9 year old mare has been a consistent sort since finishing 3rd on her debut in a bumper in November 2015, at Musselburgh.  However, there have been signs this season that wear and tear is taking its toll, so she will now be retired.

Placed 3 times in bumpers and 9 times over hurdles, Paper Roses came so close to winning a Class 2 hurdle at Carlisle in December 2017, going down by just a head to Our Valentino. Probably her best run but there have been several over the years though not quite finding that elusive victory.

Paper Roses (Rebecca)