Ones to watch

The penultimate race at Doncaster is a Listed bumper, and it looks set to be between Magical Annie and Listentoyourheart. Both won on their debuts and the market is favouring the former of the two, but I’m swayed toward Dan Skelton’s 4/1 chance.

Listentoyourheart is out of a dual bumper winner and looked very impressive on her debut when defying greenness to win at Sedgefield in October. Further improvement is on the cards and she could get her head in front again in this stronger race.

In the bumper at Bangor, preference is with Guard The Moon at 7/4, as won over C&D by an incredible 10 lengths earlier this month and looks capable of following up despite a penalty. P2P winners Grand Albert and Josie Alice are the main dangers.

Joseph O’Brien’s Sweet Delta Dawn was second of 23 runners on debut at the Curragh from 8/1 back in August. The winner has since gone on to win a Listed contest and she looks likely to improve after a 117-day break, so is worth siding with in the 15:15 at 6/5.

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Indeed, Dan Skelton isn’t in the best of form. But the more I think about the harder is it to ignore Grey Dawning in the upcoming 12:40 at Cheltenham. He has taken to fences very nicely with a third at Exeter on his first start over the larger obstacles, and he thrashed Gaillard Du Mesnil at Haydock last month — with that form being boosted further as Apple Away won easily at Leicester this week. So I’m siding with him at 85/40.

The other selection is Intoxicata (15/8) in the 20:00 at Southwell. She was a back-to-back winner at Wolverhampton and Linfield at the end of October/start of November and has still been in contention with form reading 232. Has a good chance of returning to winning ways.