BetGoodwin November Handicap - Class Two - 3-y-o's and older - Doncaster - 1m, 4f - Runners: 21  - Going: Heavy

Introduction: 
The traditional final act of the turf flat season and always a difficult puzzle to solve. Ground conditions have a big say in the outcome and this year would be no different following heavy rain in the week causing heavy ground conditions. The one mile and four furlong handicap takes place at the Town Moor racecourse as the season comes full circle after the curtain raising Lincoln Handicap in March. 
Past History:
Also one of the oldest handicaps in Britain, the November Handicap dates back to the 1870's.  The race was originally held at the now extinct Manchester racecourse until it closed in 1964 and in tribute, was briefly known as the Manchester Handicap. The race was moved once more, this time a few weeks later in the year to its current home on the first weekend of November where it also gained its current title. 
The most intriguing aspect of the race is that no horse has retained or regained the race in its entire history with a new name going on the trophy every year. The leading operation of John Gosden has been responsible for the winner most times with six, including Charm School in 2009, Zuider Zee in 2011 and most recently Royal Line in 2018. The 2019 running was abandoned due to waterlogging and last year's race was run in similar conditions to this year's where the John Butler-trained Farhan came home a wide margin winner. In recent years, the race has been better supported and some very useful horses have taken the final big race of the season.
1992 winner Turgenev landed the race for John Gosden before having the claim to fame of defeating the mighty hurdler Istabraq on the flat at Haydock the following year. Twelve months later, the 1993 November Handicap Quick Ransom who was seen as a leading handicapper in the 1990's, winning the 1992 Ebor Handicap at York, the 1994 Northumberland Plate and finishing fourth in a Melbourne Cup. In 1998, the typically tough Mark Johnston trained Yavanna's Pace claimed the prize before going on to a highly successful staying career which saw him land a Group One as a ten-year-old, a rarity in these days. The 2010 running went to Times Up, trained by the late great John Dunlop, before he returned to in the Group Two Doncaster Cup twice in 2012 and 2013. Open Eagle holds claims for the easiest handicap win ever in this race where he routed twenty-two other rivals in heavy ground by a massive twelve lengths. A year later, the 2015 Ebor Handicap winner Litigant would complete a rare double in the same year by taking in the November Handicap.
With a rich history, twenty-two horses lined up for the valuable contest and it provided interesting viewing for both punters and for future reference. 

2022 Runners and Riders:

1: TRITONIC 
Trainer: Alan King
Owners: The McNeill Family & Ian Dale
Sire: Sea The Moon - Dam: Selenography
Previous experience: 22 runs, 6 wins, 5 placings. (All career)
A high class runner for a high quality race, but that ability comes with a price as Tritonic had the task of carrying nine stone twelve to a potential victory. Best known for his hurdling exploits over the last two seasons, the Alan King-trained dual purpose horse has some high class form to his name and is relatively lightly raced. Showing considerable promise as a two-year-old, he possibly exceeded expectations of his trainer as he developed into an above average three-year-old. Finishing second in a hotly-contested handicap at Royal Ascot on his seasonal debut in 2020 was one of many good runs in defeat that. In the autumn of 2020, Tritonic switched to hurdles where he looked a natural from the start. Winning on debut, Tritonic stepped into Graded company and won with consummate ease at Kempton to set up a trip to the Cheltenham Festival. Sent off second favourite, the bubble burst slightly as he was unable to get into the race. A return to the winner's enclosure would occur back at Ascot at the end of 2021 with an impressive weight carrying performance. Switching his attention to the flat, Tritonic warmed up for this race with a win at Goodwood over a mile and four furlongs, looking a little rusty but picking up well to land the handicap ahead of the enigmatic Goshen. The forecasted heavy ground will be a concern for Tritonic as well as having to come from behind, but with jockey Callum Hutchinson claiming five pounds to ease the burden, the class could just about see him through into contention. 

2: ISRAR
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden 
Owner: Shadwell Estate Company Ltd.
Sire: Muhaarar - Dam: Taghrooda
Previous form: 7 starts, 3 wins, 2 placings.
Easily the brightest prospect of the field and a very exciting horse for next year. Bred in the purple from a highly successful family for owners Shadwell Estate, Israr has been brought along with the future in mind. With just seven starts, Israr is one of the lightest raced horses in the field, but the lack of big field experience whilst carrying nine stone eleven pounds could be a hindrance. The John Gosden trained colt made a bright start to his career, winning at last year's St Leger meeting on debut. He lost the 100% record with his next two starts, but his true potential was shown at Newbury in the London Gold Cup. The race is often a gold mine for high class horses of the future and the likes of Defoe, Bay Bridge and Communique all landed that same race before winning at the highest level. A placing at Royal Ascot solidified his reputation before being unsuited by a three-runner race. 
He was given a break and returned to action back at Doncaster for a ten furlong handicap on similarly testing ground on Vertem Futurity Stakes day just two weeks previously. Always well positioned, Israr eased into the lead and coasted home, nearly four lengths clear of the nearest rival. It was a very impressive display and one which suggested even more was to come. With two Group One winning parents, his future will no doubt lie in Pattern company next year, but this is one last assignment for the colt. The ground will be muddy, but the ability is very clear. 

3: ALRIGHT SUNSHINE
Trainer: Keith Dalgleish
Owners: Richard & Katherine Gilbert
Sire: Casamento - Dam: Miss Gibraltar
Previous experience: 32 runs, 9 wins, 8 placings.
While most national hunt horses start life on the flat before making the switch later in their careers, Alright Sunshine has done the opposite and found good success whilst doing so. Trained in Scotland by Keith Dalgleish, the dual purpose gelding has been around for less than what it feels like, but he is enjoying a good spell of form once again. Alright Sunshine started his racing career in bumpers, the common name for flat races at jumps racecourses, and showed a lot of promise. Winning three of his first four starts, he could easily have been considered for the Cheltenham or Aintree festivals. Instead, he switched codes to the flat and has made a name for himself there. In a similar vein of form, he landed four of the seven starts in his first season on the flat, as well as a narrow defeat in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock. 
He faced an uphill battle with the handicapper and struggled against his rating for a couple of years. A spell over hurdles failed to yield a win and back on the flat, he picked up a small handicap. This season has seen a resurgence in form with a string of excellent placed efforts including at Royal Ascot, Haydock and Musselburgh. Not seen since winning in July at Ripon, Alright Sunshine makes a return to the November Handicap where he finished fourteenth last year. The weather forecast looked bleak, but Keith Dalgleish will be hoping to provide some Sunshine on Doncaster. 

4: DARK JEDI
Trainer: Tim Easterby
Owner: Evan M Sutherland & Partner.
Sire: Kodiac - Dam: Whitefall
Previous experience: 41 runs, 6 wins, 10 placings.
A regular member of these kind of races, the Tim Easterby trained gelding will be hoping to force through and come out on top in the November Handicap. Starting life with Charlie Hills, he was well regarded at home and considered good enough to compete in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere at Longchamp and the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot. A switch to North Yorkshire in 2020 has seen a much improved horse over staying distances and has yielded five more career wins. Rising through the handicap levels, Dark Jedi has risen from class fours to class twos in the space of two years and kept very busy. The Evan Sutherland owned six year old has raced an impressive thirty times for the Malton stable, but has remained at a high standard throughout. 
Dark Jedi began his season at Doncaster's Lincoln meeting and could finish it at Doncaster's November meeting to complete the full circle of the turf season. Best efforts this year include runner-up spots in the Queen's Cup at Musselburgh, a fourth at the Ebor Festival behind Farhan and two wins which includes the one on his most recent start. Racing over the St Leger distance of a mile and six furlongs, Dark Jedi took full advantage of the smaller field to dominate the race, coming home on the heavy ground by a clear three and a half lengths. A piece of the furniture in events like this, but on his day this tough and consistent handicapper always gives his all. 

5: FARHAN
Trainer: Phil Kirby
Owners: James & Susan Cookson
Sire: Zoffany - Dam: Market Forces
Previous experience: 15 runs, 3 wins, 7 placings.
The returning champion with ground conditions in his favour, looking to become the first dual winner of the race. Farhan always had a bit of quality about him and once he gained a first win on his fifth start as a two-year-old, he gradually developed into a very useful middle distance handicapper. Finding his form in the second half of the 2021 season, he posted a trio of second places to frustrate connections but chased home Godolphin's Siskany in a valuable Newmarket handicap. That would set him up nicely for a tilt at last year's November Handicap where he was strong in the betting. Sent off favourite, he travelled through the race like his odds suggested and landed the race very comfortably under Hollie Doyle. Two starts at the start of 2022 were decent without showing a huge amount of promise and a mid-season break was given to Farhan. Turning up at the Ebor Festival at York in August, the ground was perceived as slightly quicker than his optimum, but he still produced a strong display to another valuable handicap over a mile and four furlongs. Going clear in the final furlong and having the race put the bed already as his rivals chased him down. 
With his rating close to 100, it made life difficult and the next assignment was a Group 3 at Ascot in early October. He was outclassed and finished eighth of nine. The interesting part came a few weeks later as Farhan was entered in the Horses In Training sales at Newmarket. His profile was attractive and he sold for 70,000 guineas to leave John Butler's stable and move north to Phil Kirby in Yorkshire. Kirby has enjoyed growing success in recent years and the dual purpose nature of his stable opens options for the future with a potential hurdling career as a possibility. In the immediate future though, it will be an exciting stable debut for connections and they will hope a return to Doncaster will see him run well once again.

6: CEMHAAN
Trainer: George Baker
Owner: PJL Racing
Sire: Muhaarar - Dam: Shalwa
Previous experience: 20 runs, 5 wins, 4 placings.
Gradually rising through the handicap ranks, Cemhaan has provided a lot of fun for his owners with a healthy run/win percentage. Starting out life at John Gosden's stable, he wasn't one of the leading lights at Clarehaven and moved to current trainer George Baker at the tail end of 2020. Hailing from a family loaded with stamina, it came as no surprise to see Cemhaan improve for longer distances.  Winning for the first time for his new trainer at Salisbury over a mile and six furlongs, he appeared to relish the deeper ground that day. 
2022 started brightly for Cemhaan with two wins in a row in smaller fields. It prompted dreams of a potential tilt at something like the Ebor Handicap, but he came up just short in two major handicaps at Royal Ascot and Goodwood festivals. A return to the winner's enclosure came on his latest start at Newmarket where he appreciated the slightly easier task and landed a five runner handicap. A return to competitive handicap with a large field could be a worry based on past evidence, but he has earned his place and will perform with credit once again. 

7: DEJA
Trainer: Peter Chapple-Hyam
Owner: Miss S E Wall.
Sire: Youmzain - Dam: Atarfe 
Previous experience: 14 runs, 5 wins, 1 placing.
A very lightly raced horse for his age and one who looked to be a star in his earlier days, Deja could roll back the clock and make it a case of deja vu. The son of three-time Arc runner-up Youmzain, the seven year old gelding has raced just fourteen times. Switching to current trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam, he continued his rise with three wins in a row over the course of twelve months. A promising seasonal reappearance at Royal Ascot in 2020 where he finished second was the perfect set up for his first major win, the Old Newton Cup at Haydock. His exploits gained the attention of the handicapper and as his rating reached a ceiling of 112, his form began to plateau. Tough tasks in pattern races throughout 2021 made life difficult and he was last seen on a racecourse in last year's November Handicap, finishing fifteenth. 
The tactics this year have changed, with connections hoping to take advantage of a fresh horse. Despite having numerous layoffs, Deja appears to be a much better horse when fresh. With a gap of over 200 days between races, his form figures read 1127, which includes that Royal Ascot second and a seventh in a Group 3 race. Almost becoming a forgotten horse due to his absences, a fresh Deja could be a potent Deja if he retains his ability. 

8: PRYDWEN
Trainer: George Scott
Owner: Blue Starr Racing
Sire: Camelot - Dam: Honey Hunter
Previous experience: 11 runs, 4 wins, 2 placings
A horse who has gone under the radar this year but has enjoyed a fine season. The long term game was always the plan for Prydwen as he never raced over anything shorter than a mile and two furlongs. There were glimpses of promise in his opening races until he got off the mark at Yarmouth at the fourth time of asking. Holding his form over the winter, Prydwen would go on to win twice on the all-weather before his progress stalled slightly when back on turf. Two more good runs on the all-weather hinted that he might be better on the synthetic surfaces but a win at Haydock last time out showed he can do it on both. Winning with some style over a distance just shy of today's task, Prydwen will now need to live up to the higher calibre of race as he steps into a class two race for the first time. 

9: WILKIE
Trainer: John Butler
Owner: Gerry Dolan
Sire: New Approach - Dam: Victorian Beauty
Previous experience: 6 runs, 1 win, 1 placing.
Last year's winning trainer is aiming to keep the trophy on his mantelpiece, but this time with an intriguing entry. Trained in France by the master Andre Fabre, Wilkie was also bred by Godolphin's French operation. His dam Victorian Beauty is a half sister the outstanding racehorse Fantastic Light, provider of some epic battles with Galileo on the track. Racing just six times in his career so far, Wilkie is totally unexposed and joins a stable renowned for finding more improvement in new purchases. Racing exclusively at Chantilly at the early part of this year, he didn't look like a star, but showed glimmers of ability. 
Moving to Britain in the middle of the year, Wilkie has run just once when fifth at Epsom. He looked all at sea on the cambered undulations of the Epsom track and he did well finish as close to the winner as he did. The November Handicap will be a tougher test all together, this kind of race needs an experienced type who can stay well and cope with the argie bargie nature of the race. He is undoubtedly a nice prospect for the future, but he goes into the "could be anything" category. 

10: MR CURIOSITY
Trainer: Tim Easterby
Owners: The Wolfpack 2 & Partner
Sire: Frankel - Dam: Our Obsession
Previous experience: 9 runs, 2 wins, 2 placings
A recent purchase at the sales for his new owners and they will be looking forward to being represented in a valuable race. Starting off life with Charlie Fellowes, Mr Curiosity is nicely bred for this kind of distance. A son of the great Frankel and by a mare who won at listed level before producing Musidora Stakes runnner-up Frankellina. 
Mr Curiosity himself showed a nice progressive profile in his first season of racing and won twice along the way. He looked a horse to follow for the future when landing a Redcar handicap impressively by six lengths in the style of a Group class horse. The next step was to take part in last year's November Handicap in which he finished midfield but has since put that race behind him with some decent runs recently. Moving from Newmarket to North Yorkshire with the Tim Easterby stable, he is a classy horse on his day and connections will be hoping their new puchase can avenge last year's heavy defeat and finish closer to the placings this year.

11: ON TO VICTORY
Trainer: Alan King
Owner: HP Racing On To Victory
Sire: Rock Of Gibraltar - Dam: Clouds Of Magellan
Previous experience: 42 runs, 6 wins, 14 placings.
Horse racing loves a good romance story, one where the sport is delighted for those involved and the stars could align here for a brilliant result. Not only is On To Victory a former winner of the race, so he too has a chance of becoming the first dual winner of the handicap, but he has become a very popular dual purpose horse over recent seasons. Winning four times on the flat and twice over hurdles, he has been a credit to connections for the past six seasons. 
The poignancy of a potential victory will be down to the recent passing of owner Henry Ponsonby. His red and white silks have been seen on racecourses up and down the country for decades, taking in the biggest festivals on the flat and over jumps. He became the first major syndicate manager, setting up a business in which so many others in racing have followed suit. His operation was the original syndicate in horse racing. Winning the Arkle Chase, the Northumberland Plate and the Ebor amongst so many major honours, the racing world would love to see his colours cross the line in front again. 
Not only a brilliant character, but also the discoverer of young jockeys such as Hollie Doyle andTom Marquand who he supported as they made their name as an apprentice. 

12: MR ALAN
Trainer: George Boughey
Owners: Amo Racing Limited
Sire: Ulysses - Dam: Interlace
Previous experience: 10 runs, 2 wins, 2 placings.
A horse who has been highly tried during his light career, but that reflects in the regard he is held in. A son of the brilliantly bred and top class racehorse Ulysses, Mr Alan is out of a Pivotal mare which strengthens his claims on the softer ground. As a two-year-old, he made his debut in a Yarmouth maiden which in retrospect looks very strong and was sent off second favourite. It was a clue to his potential talent and although Mr Alan has won just twice so far, things seem to be clicking together. A mixed bag through the summer this year saw promise and frustration on the track.
Fortunes began to change at Ayr's Western meeting in mid-September where he was beaten by the smallest of margins which showed he was still capable on the track. A win on his latest start followed where he battled gamely on soft ground at Nottingham, but arrived on the scene travelling smoothly. He will need to improve once more for the longer distance, but it possible he can outrun his potential odds now the progress has been unlocked. 

14: METIER
Trainer: Harry Fry
Owner: G C Stevens
Sire: Mastercraftsman - Dam: We'll Go Walking
Previous experience: 16 runs, 5 wins, 1 placing.
Another exciting addition to the line-up as not only a dual purpose horse, but a winner at the highest level. 
Metier is best known for his jumping exploits over the past two seasons where he exploded onto the scene for trainer Harry Fry. Winning his first two starts over hurdles by ten and five lengths before demolishing the field in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle by twelve lengths. His bubble was burst at the Cheltenham Festival and it seemed at one point that Metier's progress had derailed. Returning to the winner's enclosure in late January, Metier is a deadly force on heavy ground. 
In his earlier days, the son of Mastercraftsman was a progressive horse on the flat in Ireland as well. Trained by the shrewd Andrew Oliver, Metier won over a mile and posted a career best effort when fifth in the October Handicap at Leopardstown in October 2019. His mind will have to remember the starting procedure and the rustiness of being away from a flat race in three years will come into the factoring, but this is a high class horse on deep ground and potentially "thrown in" with a rating that is a lot lower than his talent shown over hurdles. A fascinating runner.

15: EMIYN
Trainer: Declan Carroll
Owner: Fabfive
Sire: Invincible Spirit - Dam: Edelmira
Previous experience: 18 runs, 4 wins, 3 placings. 
Based on his gradual improvement this season, Emiyn deserves a shot at this big prize for his local stable. 
Starting life in Ireland with the legendary trainer Dermot Weld, Emiyn is another product of the world famous breeding farm of HRH The Aga Khan. His dam Edemira was a Group 3 winner during her three race career, but the family tree branches out to some brilliant horses to carry the gren and red silks over the past few decades. 
Emiyn won over a mile in Ireland before joining Declan Carroll in North Yorkshire in 2021. Starting out at a lower level, he has picked up races along the way and rising the ladder. This season has been a personal best with a particular affinity for the Chester racecourse. On his latest start, his first attempt in class two company, he was given a brilliantly judged ride by jockey Zak Wheatley to make all the running and dictate the pace of the two mile and two furlong contest. Stamina will be guaranteed for Emiyn taking part in this potential slog but he is another who will need to improve to be competitive in this contest. 

16: FAYLAQ
Trainer: Ewan Whillans
Owner: B Jordan, Brian Jordan, S Jordan & N McConnell
Sire: Dubawi - Dam: Danedream
Previous experience: 26 runs, 3 wins, 4 placings.
An extremely well bred gelding who hasn't hit the heights expected when he was born, but he is with a capable stable and has been getting closer to winning in recent times. 
A son of leading sire Dubawi and out of Dandream, the Arc and King George winner, Faylaq is certainly bred to be a Group One winner, but breeding doesn't guarantee success. Racing for the Shadwell operation and for William Haggas in the early stages of his career, it took four attempts to gain a first win, but he began to progress slowly. Winning three times for the Newmarket trainer and finishing fourth in a Group Three along the way. He was sold in the 2021 Horses in Training sales after the death of Hamdan Al Maktoum and was picked up by trainer Ewan Whillans in the Scottish borders. His recent fom has definitely suggest a return to winning ways is getting closer, on his most recent start at York, he lead in the closing stages but lost out in a head bob finish to the unexposed Titian in an agonising defeat.
The six year old is a star name for a small stable and they will deserve to find a good race win with Faylaq. 

17: NATHANAEL GREENE
Trainer: William Haggas
Owner: Isa Salman Al Khalifa
Sire: Nathaniel - Dam: My Special J's
Previous experience: 7 runs, 2 wins, 2 placing. 
In the similar vein to market rival Israr, Nathanael Greene is a very lightly raced three year old for a leading stable and one who could be even better horse next year. 
Son of the King George winner Nathaniel, who also produced this year's Derby winner Desert Crown, he is out of My Special J's; a Group Two winner on the track. Always seen as a better three-year-old, Nathanael Greene raced twice as a two-year-old and finished third on the second occasion. Winning on seasonal reappearance this year, he defeated a smart national hunt horse in the process and subsequently ran well in nice events whilst not beaten far. He would gain a second win at Haydock in early July over a mile and six furlongs on testing ground, showing battling qualities to take the competitive handicap. A mid-summer break would follow and he reappeared at York in October in a similar class two event. Well fancied in the betting, Nathanael Greene travelled sweetly into contention and looked set to pick up another big race, but the lack of a recent run told and he weakened into fourth. 
The stronger pace and large field of the November Handicap could suit this future stayer and he still retains a lot of promise for today and going forward into next year.

18: FURZIG
Trainer: Richard Fahey
Owner: Mr & Mrs P Ashton
Sire: Monsieur Bond - Dam: Princess Cocoa
Previous experience: 43 runs, 11 wins, 7 placings.
Another potential fairytale story if Furzig wins and it could one for the movie directors to take notes about. 
Owned and bred by the Ashtons out of their own racemare Princess Cocoa, Furzig was bred on a budget but has become a brilliant earner for his owners over the years. The seven year old has seen plenty of racing, but has plenty of big efforts throughout his career. An eleven time winner, Furzig was very useful during 2019 and into 2020 as he rose through the ranks and ended up winning at class two level. Reaching a highest rating of 104, Furzig began to ease back down in the handicap ladder and retreated to class four level again. Captitalising on a much lower rating, Furzig has found the winning touch again and comes to Doncaster on a roll after two consecutive wins. 
Adept on all kinds of ground, Furzig will need to turn up at his very best to cope with higher rated horses and ones with younger legs, but he cannot be denied the fairytale career for his owners. 

19: FIRST OFFICER
Trainer: Jane Chapple-Hyam
Owner: Bryan Hurst & Jane Chapple-Hyam
Sire: Galileo - Dam: Weekend Strike
Previous experience: 10 runs, 2 win, 2 placings
A smart piece of business has seen this well bred colt find his best form in recent starts and could have more to offer. 
Owned by the powerful partnership of Magnier, Tabor, Smith and Westerberg, First Officer is a son of the best sire of all time, Galileo. His dam Weekend Strike was lightly raced but produced Group Three winner Sizzling. With those kind of connections, it was expected that First Officer would be very good on track. Trained originally by Roger Varian, he finished a promising third on debut. His progress went backwards afterwards and his only win in the blue and orange silks came in a three runner Salisbury handicap. Moving across Newmarket to new trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam in September, he was dropped in trip for his first run for new connections. Arriving at Nottingham over a mile and two furlongs, he burst onto the scene with an emphatic six length win to remind everyone of his ability. Racing at Doncaster next time out, he stayed at a mile and two furlongs, he travelled well into the race once again but was involved in a ding dong battle with another rival only to go down by a nose on the line. An desperately close reversal, but he lost nothing in defeat. 
Stepping back up to a mile and four furlongs on very testing ground will be a tough test, but he is clearly enjoying his new surroundings and the newfound confidence could help his chances. 

20: TEED UP
Trainer: Emmet Mullins
Owner: Mrs A F Mee
Sire: Gleneagles  - Dam: Dibiya
Previous experience: 16 wins, 4 runs, 4 placings.
The sight of the name Emmet Mullins in a big British handicap is enough to warrant attention regardless of the horse's chances as Mullins has already picked up the biggest handicap in Britain this year. 
Emmet Mullins is an extremely shrewd operator, as his surname suggests, there are no better trainers than the Mullins family. The former jockey began training in 2015 and his reputation has grown year by year. His expertise as a race planner were on display as he brought The Shunter to Cheltenham to land the Greatwood Hurdle in November 2020 and then again in the same season to win the Festival Plate Handicap Chase in March 2021. His greatest achievement of course came at Aintree where he landed the Grand National with Noble Yeats, a horse picked from relative obscurity, at his first attempt.
The trainer makes Teed Up of automatic interest as he appears as a plot horse. A tripe winner in his younger days for his previous trainer, Teed Up joined Mullins in 2021. The initial races didn't amount to much, but at the Galway Festival in July, Zero Ten ran twice in three days; finishing second and first over hurdles. A return to the flat in the October Handicap saw a midfield finish at Leopardstown but he wasn't beaten far which suggests connections have had an eye on this race for a while. 

21: RING OF BEARA
Trainer: Tim Easterby
Owner: Matt Fitzgerald, The Songsters & Partner.
Sire: Wootton Bassett - Dam: Harem Mistress
Previous experience: 6 runs, 1 win, 1 placing. 
Another representative for the Easterby outfit and another recent purchase from the sales ring. 
Trained originally by ex-jockey Richard Hughes, Ring Of Beara was highly regarded as a juvenile. Finishing second to Group level placed Imperial Fighter on his debut, Ring Of Beara broke his maiden tag with minimal fuss at Ffos Las next time out. A tilt at the Group Three Somerville Stakes was a cap of his potential as he finished fifth of six behind Modern Games. 
His three-year-old season has yet to kick off with midfield finishes in valuable handicaps at Haydock, Goodwood and Sandown. His rating, which is based on his Group race exploits, may be too steep in reflection of the horse's ability so he may struggle in this kind of race. It is a shot in the dark for connections but you have to be in the race to stand a chance of winning the race. He could find a race in the future, so connections may have to be patient for his time to come. 

22: LUNAR JET
Trainer: Michael Mullineaux
Owner: Country Charm Window & Conservatries.
Sire: Ask - Dam: Lightning Jet
Previous experience: 58 runs, 7 wins, 10 placings.
A fine servant to his small stable over the years, he is still very capable of running a big race on bottomless ground. 
The son of strong stayer Ask, winner of the Prix Royal-Oak and Coronation Cup, Lunar Jet is bred along the lines of a national hunt horse. Despite this however, Lunar Jet has found comfort in the flat game and is vastly experienced. He comes alive when the ground becomes testing, racking up a three timer in 2020 on soft and heavy ground, he reached a highest rating of 90. Age has begun to catch up with Lunar Jet, but in last year's running of the November Handicap, he showed he still has it by finishing fifth at odds of 125-1. 
He arrives back at Doncaster this year with a much lower rating this year which is a reflection of his current form but as he has shown time and time again, these are his conditions and connections will be hoping for a repeat of last year's run. 

Story of the Race:
1st: Metier.  Saffie Osborne (3). 
2nd: Teed Up. Franny Norton.
3rd: Emiyn. Harrison Shaw.
4th: First Officer. David Egan.
Distances: 1.25 lengths and 1.5 lengths. 
Non-Runner: 13: Sir Rumi.

Class Shines Through.
The 2022 renewal looked worthy of Group race status with a brilliant field of high class hurdlers and well bred improvers. Light drizzle on the day was unpleasant and heavy ground made for hard work for the horses. 
With a few horses having a second thought about entering the stalls, they needed slight encouragement from the stalls handlers to edge into the gates. All twenty-one runners were off and away, carrying their briefly crystal clean jockeys onboard. In the early stages, the pace looked even. The leaders made sure not to go an overly fast pace as it would ruin their own chance as well as the others. Emiyn lead the field under Harrison Shaw, taking full advantage of his guaranteed stamina. Amongst those to race prominently, Metier, First Officer and Mr Alan were easy to spot in the gloom as the remainder of the field were huddled up. From their wide draws, Israr, Teed Up and Tritonic had to sit patiently on the outside of the pack, covering more distance than those on the inside.
Turning for home, the pace began to unwind. From the previous races on the day, the evidence was there that it would be hard to make up ground from the rear so the leaders held the box seat. Emiyn travelled well in the lead with Metier and First Officer tracking his moves. The race became attritional and entering the final two furlongs, Metier grabbed the lead under Saffie Osborne and went for home. The long absence from the flat scene proved no worry for the high class hurdler and he soon looked to have the race sewn up. Emiyn and First Officer were swamped in front as Teed Up chased the leader in hope. There was a moment where Emmet Mullins looked set to bring another British trophy to Ireland this year, but the Harry Fry trained winner was kept up to his work and landed the November Handicap.
Emiyn plugged on at the same pace to take a very honourable third and First Officer vindicated his new owner's purchase in fourth. Of those held up early on, Lunar Jet made most ground to finish ninth and favourite Israr could only manage twelfth.
The class may have shined through, but it was a fine training and riding performance by Harry Fry and Saffie Osborne. A horse who hadn't raced since March and hadn't raced on the flat in over three years, it was a fine achievement to get him spot on for the day. The handicapper will rue being too cautious and giving Metier a rating of 89. A vastly superior hurdler with a Grade One win in that sphere, the extra 3lbs allowance of jockey Saffie Osborne showed he was "thrown in". 

A horse who lost his way slightly after such a bright beginning is back in the headlines with a sparkling display on Bonfire Night.