Preview of this weekend’s racing with Farringdon: November 7-8

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THE official final day of the turf flat season returns to Town Moor once again, and it is a meeting that always excites me. There is usually plenty of “value” to be found across this mammoth eight-race card, where a relatively fresh horse can count for plenty at the end of a long and demanding season. The action gets under way bright and early at 11.55.

The feature event, the November Handicap, has again, as always, attracted a mighty field of some 23 runners, although the slight difference this year is that the drying ground is unlikely to see the going any slower than good to soft.

The combination of Richard Hughes and Ryan Moore team up with the very lightly raced three-year-old, Nobody Knows, at the top of the market. Despite his eye-catching running on efforts over a mile at Sandown Park and particularly over an extended mile-and-a-quarter at York last month, I am happy to let him win at around the 3/1 mark, up against vastly more experienced rivals that have been tried and tested over this galloping mile-and-a-half.

Winner of this contest in 2024 off a mark of 85, Lord Melbourne served up one of his best recent performances as York last time out and even off 92 looks sure to make his presence felt in this valuable end-of-term handicap.

But this looks a race for a double-digit priced each-way play and after much deliberation, I have come down two-fold on the side of last year’s 10th TASHKHAN and at a slightly shorter price, DURAJI (3.25).

The last named is one of three runners for Hughes including the aforementioned favourite and you would have to be a pretty loyal member of his fan club to back him here. However, like my other selection, his severe drop in the weights allied to running back over a mile-and-a-half for the first time since May 2025 in a Group Two event in Cologne could see him hit the frame at the very least.

A repeat of either his third in the Chester Cup, or more pertinently, a close up fourth to Shrimp Shady at Newbury could see him run close here, even if an extra quarter-of-a-mile would help. The selection is set to run off a career low mark of 86, with the capable Donagh Murphy claiming 5lbs and could rustle up his stable mates that are further up the betting ladder.

Tashkhan probably wants even further, but this race is normally run at a mad pace and if Clifford Lee (riding him for the first time) gets him into a nice rhythm, he could surprise having dropped to his lowest handicap mark for five years of 89.

There are plenty of other juicy handicaps to get our teeth stuck into at the South Yorkshire track and the one that really catches my eye is UNCLE DON (3.55) in a huge field finale over six furlongs. Formerly trained by the Faheys, he was a useful juvenile beating Big Mojo in his Beverley maiden success, before running in second in the Roseberry Stakes at Ayr and a close up seventh in the Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar.

He has gone another 16 runs without a win since then, but has been placed off marks as high as 89 and 84. With Toby Moore set to take 7lbs off here, the now four-year-old bay gelding will run off a career low mark of 80 and his fourth in the Ayr Silver Cup off 87 gives him a major chance here, as long as his low draw doesn’t prove a significant disadvantage.

I shall also be throwing a few each-way shillings at JASOUR (2.10) in the Wentworth Stakes, while top weight equating to a handicap mark of 82 may not stop THUNDER ROAR (12.25) bouncing back to form at a substantial price.

Aintree lost its Old Roan card a few weeks ago but benefits from a valuable meeting featuring a superb Grade Two Hurdle and the Rising Stars Novices’ Chase, transferred from the postponed Wincanton fixture.

The Grade Two could feature several young hurdlers chasing the Champion Hurdle dream, just four months away. Much of the attention is likely to focus on Alexei, fourth in this year’s renewal, who would have finished in the places but for taking the final hurdle with him, and MYDADDYPADDY (1.45), third in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

In receipt of 4lbs from the former, the Dan Skelton-trained charge is preferred. I always thought that this son of the great Walk In The Park would take a big step forward physically this term and his high cruising speed looks sure to serve him around the tight bends here, as will his efficient hurdling style.

BARON DU BRIZAIS (12.40) can deny the Skelton’s with Old Coast Road in the opener, while TAURUS BAY (2.25) looks way too big at around 12/1 in the Rising Stars against No Drama This End and Talk To The Man. The selection was very immature last year, yet still ran well in the Turners at Cheltenham and to my eyes is the type to catch fresh in his novice chase season.

The drying ground is very much in favour of JOSH THE BOSS (3.35) in the two-and-a-half-mile Class Two Handicap Chase and unlike many of his rivals, he arrives here with a run under his belt when a good second at Wetherby. I am hoping that 7lbs claiming amateur Jamie Nield rides him with a bit more patience than he did first time out.

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