5:25 Doncaster
The 5:25 at Doncaster is the second division of a Class 6 handicap over 7f6y on good to firm ground, featuring a field of ten modest performers in a race that lacks any standout quality. The KTB Fit Scores top out at 58 for the selection, underlining the overall level, while recent form across the runners is largely uninspiring and several arrive with questions to answer on the surface or trip. With no obvious front-runner the race is expected to be tactical, and course experience could prove significant on this track.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape indicates a lack of any natural leader, pointing to a steadily-run, tactical affair in which being handy is likely to pay. Most of the principals are held-up types or those who race prominently without wanting to make the running, so the key question is which horse can produce its effort at the right time in a race that may not truly test stamina. Early positioning from those drawn lower could be an advantage if the pace remains modest.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Wilde And Dandy KTB Selection58/100Wilde And Dandy is a limited performer who has run 42 times and shown his best form at this track, winning two of his seven starts here.
- 2Barbuda Bay55/100Modest performer who has shown some ability at this trip, finishing placed once in two runs over 7f.
- 3Groundsman49/100Limited performer who has failed to place in three starts this year and looks no better than modest on recent ratings.
- 4Sprinting Speed49/100Modest performer who has shown little since an early promise faded.
- 5Von Trotter48/100Modest performer who has shown little in eight starts and was well beaten when last seen over 6f.
- 6Donald43/100Modest performer who has shown little for his yard this year and was well held when last seen over 5½f.
- 7Sir David42/100Limited horse who has been out of the frame in all six runs on good to firm ground and finished a modest 13th on his only visit to Doncaster.
- 8Magic Lady Mae42/100Limited filly who has shown little since a placed effort over this trip on her second start.
- 9Back From Dubai40/100Limited horse who has been around a long time and mixes modest form with the occasional better run.
- 10Mister McGregor37/100Mister McGregor is a limited horse who has been on the go for a long time and shows no real upward curve in his 27 starts.
The contenders
Wilde And Dandy KTB Fit 58/100
Wilde And Dandy is a limited performer who has run 42 times yet has shown his best form at this track, winning two of his seven starts here. He has also won at this trip and on good to firm ground, though his recent form of 36-937 suggests he is not in top form at the moment. The trainer has a 7 percent strike rate from 194 runs at Doncaster while the jockey records an 8 percent strike rate from 83 rides at the track. Usually held up, he produces his effort late and from draw 10 will need the race to fall right in a steadily-run contest. His two course wins remain the strongest piece of evidence in a modest field and he arrives with the highest KTB Fit Score of 58.
Barbuda Bay KTB Fit 55/100
Barbuda Bay is a modest performer who has shown some ability at this trip, finishing placed once in two runs over 7f. He drops back from 1m today having been well held in his last two starts, though the yard's solid 16% strike rate at Doncaster offers some encouragement. The jockey's 9% record here from a big sample is about average. Unproven on good to firm, the three-year-old has a bit to prove on the surface from draw 9. His placed effort at the trip is the main positive in an ordinary profile that leaves him with a KTB Fit Score of 55.
Groundsman KTB Fit 49/100
Groundsman is a limited performer who has failed to place in three starts this year and looks no better than modest on recent ratings. He has won over today's trip but has shown nothing on good to firm ground in five runs and now tries headgear for the first time. The trainer holds a solid 10% strike rate at Doncaster while the jockey is operating at just 4%. Drawn in stall 5, he has no course form on record. His modest recent efforts leave him with a KTB Fit Score of 49 in a race where he needs the new headgear to spark major improvement.
Sprinting Speed KTB Fit 49/100
Sprinting Speed is a modest performer who has shown little since an early promise faded. He steps up to 7f for the first time today after two prior runs at the trip brought no success, while the yard's modest 7% strike rate at Doncaster from 152 runs offers no encouragement. Jockey Stevie Donohoe holds an 11% record here from 149 rides but this one arrives in ordinary form. He has four runs on good to firm without placing and was eighth on his only previous visit to the track. That leaves him with a KTB Fit Score of 49 and plenty to find.
Von Trotter KTB Fit 48/100
Von Trotter is a modest performer who has shown little in eight starts and was well beaten when last seen over 6f. He steps up to 7f for the first time today which asks a fresh question while the yard's modest 5% strike rate at Doncaster offers little encouragement. The jockey has an 8% record here from 37 rides and the horse remains unproven on good to firm ground. Usually prominent, he should be handy in a race that lacks an obvious leader. His KTB Fit Score of 48 reflects a profile that has yet to convince at this level.
The rest of the field
DonaldKTB Fit 43/100
Donald is a modest performer who has shown little for his yard this year and was well held when last seen over 5½f. He steps up to an untried 7f today which asks a fresh question of him. The trainer’s modest record here adds little confidence and he drops in class with a KTB Fit Score of 43.
Sir DavidKTB Fit 42/100
Sir David is a limited horse who has been out of the frame in all six runs on good to firm ground and finished a modest 13th on his only visit to Doncaster. He showed a bit more spark when second at this trip last time but that remains his only placing in the last 18 months. Trainer and jockey both have below-average records at the track, leaving him with a KTB Fit Score of 42.
Magic Lady MaeKTB Fit 42/100
Magic Lady Mae is a limited filly who has shown little since a placed effort over this trip on her second start. She was well held on her only previous visit to Doncaster and the yard's modest record here offers no encouragement. The trip looks about right but overall form is poor and she has a KTB Fit Score of 42 while unproven on good to firm.
Back From DubaiKTB Fit 40/100
Back From Dubai is a limited horse who has been around a long time and mixes modest form with the occasional better run. He did win over this trip earlier in his career but is 0-6 on good to firm ground and drops back from a mile today. The trainer has no previous runners at Doncaster while the jockey operates at a 4% strike rate from 127 rides here, resulting in a KTB Fit Score of 40.
Mister McGregorKTB Fit 37/100
Mister McGregor is a limited horse who has been on the go for a long time and shows no real upward curve in his 27 starts. He has placed on good to firm and at today's trip but without winning, and the first-time headgear is now being reached for. The jockey has a 9% strike rate from 191 rides at Doncaster and he drops in class with a KTB Fit Score of 37.
KTB verdict
Wilde And Dandy stands out as the KTB Selection with a Fit Score of 58 and the clearest course record in the race, having won two of his seven starts at Doncaster. His ability to win at this trip and on good to firm ground adds to the case, even if recent form has been ordinary. The steadily-run pace shape should suit his hold-up style if the jockey can time the run from stall 10. Main dangers are likely to come from Barbuda Bay, who has shown placed form at the trip and benefits from a yard in decent form at the track, and possibly Von Trotter if the step up in distance brings about improvement from a handy position. The remainder of the field largely consist of limited performers with patchy records and plenty to prove.
KTB Selection Wilde And Dandy
This is the narrative read of the 5:25 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 the strongest course record at Doncaster?
Wilde And Dandy, who has won two of his seven starts here.
Why is the race expected to be tactical?
The pace shape lacks a leader and no one obviously wants the lead, making it a steadily-run affair where being handy pays.
Which runner is first-time headgear?
Groundsman and Mister McGregor.
Who has the best trainer strike rate at the track among the principals?
Barbuda Bay’s trainer, with a 16% strike rate at Doncaster.
Which horse is stepping up to 7f for the first time?
Sprinting Speed and Von Trotter.
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