Saturday Racing Tips: Botte can build on trial promise

Flat holds sway on Saturday, Doncaster's Lincoln Handicap meeting taking centre stage alongside Kempton, the Curragh and Southwell. For the National Hunt fans, Stratford and Uttoxeter keep the show on the road.

First off is Doncaster at 1.20pm, closely followed by the Curragh, Uttoxeter, Kempton and Stratford, while Southwell's evening AW Flat card gets underway at 5pm. Among our Saturday fancies is one for Harry Eustace in the Lincoln Handicap who is lightly raced and potentially better than his mark.

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New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

15:32 Doncaster - La Botte @ 7/2

The Harry Eustace-trained LA BOTTE, who'd been off since finishing a neck second in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot last June, ran a superb race on his return to action in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton three weeks ago.

The son of too Darn Hot made good late gains from an unpromising position under Jamie Spencer to finish right on the heels of third-placed Two Tempting.

Up 5lb to a mark 104, this was an eye-catching effort and a return to a straight mile at Doncaster this afternoon will be right up his street.

He's run only five times to date, so remains open to plenty more improvement and the forecast goodish ground should be something close to his optimum.

16:05 Doncaster - Valenday @ 3/1

The Kevin Ryan-trained VALENDAY acquitted himself really well in a pair of warm York maidens towards the end of last season and looks sure to make a bold bid on his seasonal reappearance.

The selection was friendless in the market ahead of his debut over 7f at York in September, but he ran with a ton of promise, rallying strongly under pressure to be beaten just three quarters of a length at odds of 50/1.

He was visibly green at times on that occasion, so to run to a Racing Post Rating of 84 was highly promising.

He wasn't quite able to match that when third over a mile at the Knavesmire the next month, but he still ran to a strong level and is bred to appreciate this step up to middle distances.

16:28 Kempton - King’s Trail @ 4/5

Charlie Appleby often uses Kempton as a springboard for some of his best colts and there was a lot to like about KING'S TRAIL, who won well on his debut over course-and-distance in December, despite having shown notable signs of immaturity in the preliminaries.

The striking chestnut was on his toes, rearing and whinnying repeatedly in the pre parade ring and paddock ahead of that introduction, and proved a little uneasy at the head of the market as a result, albeit still sent off at a shade of odds-on.

However, he was on his behaviour in the race itself and did the job nicely under William Buick, really stamping his authority on his rivals inside the final furlong.

Bred in the purple, being a son of Sea The Stars out of a Dubawi mare - herself a Group 3 winner - he could be absolutely anything.

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