4:40 Doncaster
This Class 5 handicap division over 7f at Doncaster on good to soft ground brings together a dozen modest performers, several of whom are dropping in class. The KTB Fit ratings are tightly bunched at the top, with They All Know Me heading the list on 61, closely followed by Berry Clever (59) and Commander Of Life (58). Recent form is mixed across the field, with several runners showing consistency without winning of late, and the race looks likely to hinge on how the unexposed or track-proven types handle the conditions and draw.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is on the steady side with no obvious front-runner declared, though several hold-up performers and midfield runners suggest the race could develop into a sprint for the line in the final two furlongs. They All Know Me from stall 1 and Commander Of Life from stall 2 are likely to be prominent or handy early, while higher draws such as Mystical Storm and Bella Bisbee may have to work harder to get involved. The key question is whether the inside draws can take advantage of the good to soft ground and avoid trouble in what could become a race decided by positioning and a late kick.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1They All Know Me KTB Selection61/100They All Know Me is a fair performer who arrives in decent nick after a win last time and has already shown he handles this trip.
- 2Berry Clever59/100Modest performer who has been consistent of late with form figures of 33214 and has won three times at this trip from 14 attempts.
- 3Commander Of Life58/100Modest performer with a solid recent record of consistent minor honours.
- 4Follow Your Heart56/100Modest performer who knows his way around this track having won here from just two visits.
- 5Intervention53/100Intervention is a modest 9-year-old who has been out of form for some time with a string of poor efforts including his last four starts.
- 6Mystical Storm53/100Modest performer who won here over 6f as a 3-year-old but has struggled since and was well held on reappearance at Newcastle.
- 7Ziggy's Condor48/100Modest performer with a solid recent record of consistency but no win since last year.
- 8Pulsar Star48/100Pulsar Star is a modest performer who has shown consistent placed form this year, finishing no worse than second in three of his last four starts.
- 9Shazani47/100Modest performer who has won once in six runs at this track and holds a solid 1-4 record on good to soft ground.
- 10Bella Bisbee46/100Modest performer who has won once in four runs at this track and also has three wins at today's trip from 21 attempts.
- 11Chifa42/100Modest performer who has won nine times but looks to have lost his edge at the age of nine.
- 12Macedonian40/100Macedonian is a modest performer who has failed to fire on his last two starts and now makes his first visit to Doncaster.
The contenders
They All Know Me KTB Fit 61/100
They All Know Me is a fair performer who arrives in decent nick after a win last time and has already shown he handles this trip. He has placed on good to soft but is making his first visit to Doncaster where both trainer and jockey have modest records. The inside draw could help on this ground. Richard and Peter Fahey operate at an 8% strike rate at the track from 24 runs while David Nolan is on 8% from 290 rides here. Recent form of 3-2881 includes that most recent success and he is competitive at this level.
Berry Clever KTB Fit 59/100
Berry Clever is a modest performer who has been consistent of late with form figures of 33214 and has won three times at this trip from 14 attempts. He has never run at Doncaster before from 29 starts and is 0-3 on good to soft ground so both the track and going pose fresh questions. Chris Dwyer has a 10% strike rate here from 111 runs while Silvestre De Sousa is operating at 13% from 452 rides. Dropping in class looks a positive and his placed efforts suggest he remains competitive at this level.
Commander Of Life KTB Fit 58/100
Commander Of Life is a modest performer with a solid recent record of consistent minor honours. He has won over this trip and at this track from limited attempts, though the sole run on good to soft ground brought no joy. Trainer and jockey both have established but unspectacular records here. Jessica Macey has an 11% strike rate at Doncaster from 53 runs and Lewis Edmunds is on 8% from 176 rides. The course win adds appeal and he is dropping in class.
Follow Your Heart KTB Fit 56/100
Follow Your Heart is a modest performer who knows his way around this track having won here from just two visits. He has won nine times over today's trip but his recent form is patchy and he has failed to place in three of his last four starts. Trainer Mark Loughnane has a solid 11% strike rate at Doncaster while Tom Eaves sits on a 6% record at the track. He has placed on good to soft without winning and is another dropping in class.
Intervention KTB Fit 53/100
Intervention is a modest 9-year-old who has been out of form for some time with a string of poor efforts including his last four starts. He has placed here without winning and has shown some competitiveness on good to soft ground though he has never scored on it. Stepping back up to 7f is at least a return to a trip he has won over in the past though the yard and jockey both have modest records at Doncaster. Michael Appleby is on 9% at the track from 391 runs and Joanna Mason is at 8% from 119 rides.
The rest of the field
Mystical StormKTB Fit 53/100
Mystical Storm is a modest performer who won here over 6f as a 3-year-old but has struggled since and was well held on reappearance at Newcastle. He steps up to 7f for the first time today having been placed without winning at the trip previously. Julie Camacho has an 8% strike rate from 227 runs at Doncaster while Ryan Sexton is operating at 11% from 83 rides here.
Ziggy's CondorKTB Fit 48/100
Ziggy's Condor is a modest performer with a solid recent record of consistency but no win since last year. He has placed at this trip on four occasions without managing to get his head in front and acts on good to soft ground with a win and a placing from three starts. This is his first run at Doncaster for a trainer with a very small sample here while jockey Charles Bishop has a fair 11% strike rate at the track.
Pulsar StarKTB Fit 48/100
Pulsar Star is a modest performer who has shown consistent placed form this year, finishing no worse than second in three of his last four starts. He has been placed twice at this trip without winning and holds a solid draw in stall 8. The yard has had too few runners at Doncaster to judge while Havlin maintains a 15% strike rate from 316 rides here.
ShazaniKTB Fit 47/100
Shazani is a modest performer who has won once in six runs at this track and holds a solid 1-4 record on good to soft ground. He steps up from 6f to 7f today having been placed without winning at the trip in the past. Roy Bowring records a 10% strike rate from 214 runs here while the jockey is operating at a 4% strike rate from 118 rides.
Bella BisbeeKTB Fit 46/100
Bella Bisbee is a modest performer who has won once in four runs at this track and also has three wins at today's trip from 21 attempts. Recent form is mixed but she has been competitive at this level and the yard's record here is respectable. She is yet to place in three runs on good to soft ground though and the jockey is still seeking a first winner at Doncaster from 24 rides.
ChifaKTB Fit 42/100
Chifa is a modest performer who has won nine times but looks to have lost his edge at the age of nine. Recent form of 190769 shows the odd flash of ability yet he has been beaten a long way on his last two starts and has never won or placed from two runs at Doncaster. He has form on good to soft but three runs without a win or place on it is hardly encouraging.
MacedonianKTB Fit 40/100
Macedonian is a modest performer who has failed to fire on his last two starts and now makes his first visit to Doncaster. The yard’s 7% strike rate here from a big sample is no more than fair while Connor Beasley’s 11% record reads a bit better. He is unproven on good to soft and has never won over this trip in two attempts.
KTB verdict
They All Know Me is the KTB Selection. A fair performer in decent nick after a recent win, he has shown he handles the trip and has placed on good to soft, with the inside draw a potential help on this ground. His ability edges him ahead of a field where several others are modest types with questions to answer. The main dangers are Berry Clever, who has been consistent and is dropping in class, and Commander Of Life, who has a course win to his name despite limited joy on good to soft.
KTB Selection They All Know Me
This is the narrative read of the 4:40 Doncaster. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Doncaster racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has course-and-distance winning form?
None of the runners have a course-and-distance win; Commander Of Life, Follow Your Heart and Mystical Storm have won at the track but over different distances.
Who has the best recent win in the field?
They All Know Me, who arrives off a win last time out according to his form figures of 3-2881.
Which runners are proven on good to soft ground?
They All Know Me, Follow Your Heart, Intervention, Mystical Storm, Ziggy's Condor, Shazani and Chifa have all shown form on good to soft, though several are competitive without having won on it.
How many runners are dropping in class?
Seven runners are dropping in class: Berry Clever, Commander Of Life, Follow Your Heart, Intervention, Mystical Storm and Pulsar Star.
Which jockey has the strongest strike rate at Doncaster?
Robert Havlin has a 15% strike rate at Doncaster from 316 rides, the highest among the jockeys in this race.
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