Jamie Spencer: “I rode Khalifa Sat when he won on soft and that victory was in spite of the ground”

DONCASTER

2.00pm: Jabbarockie carries a 4lb penalty for his Newmarket win last week but he could still be the answer here. There seems to be a lot of rain around so it’s a plus that he has won on soft ground, too.

2.35pm: El Astronaute is the best horse in here at these weights and does have form with plenty of give too, but I just prefer Dakota Gold. He carries a 3lb penalty but he went from strength to strength last season, handles any ground, and there could be more improvement in him.

3.10pm: A tough handicap to call but the fact that Fifth Position has had a run sways it for me. His Newcastle third looks strong handicap form and he races off the same mark here.

3.40pm: Form horse Red Verdon looked to have turned a corner when winning at York last season but he has been disappointing since, though his Caulfield Cup run was a fair effort, I suppose. I will take a chance on Ryan’s mount Hasanabad. He didn’t shine when last on his debut for the stable at Newmarket last September but he has been gelded since and his Irish form makes him of interest.

GOODWOOD

1.45pm: I think Andrew Balding’s Spanish Angel could be the one to beat but it’s Caspian Queen for me in this 5f handicap. She had a run at Lingfield last week, when a good second, and is only 2lb higher here. She is also a course winner and she should go well off top weight providing they don’t get too much rain.

2.20pm: The fact that Moyassar has been kept in training at four is hopefully a fair pointer to his chances. He has been gelded since we last saw him, and he would be the best horse in here on his Newmarket handicap win off 98 last May.

3.25pm: I’d be surprised if Bodyline wasn’t good enough to win this four-runner handicap. Going up 3lb for his excellent Yarmouth second last week seems fair enough and, being by Australia, I would expect this longer trip to suit and he looks the sort to progress with experience.

3.55pm: Only four runners in this Listed race, too, but an open race. If the ground stays quick then I like Khalifa Sat, though. I rode him when he won on soft here in September and he won in spite of the ground. He is a half-brother to a St Leger runner-up Unsung Heroine and will like the step up in trip. It’s a tough little race though; Celestran has had a run and looked good when winning off 82 at Yarmouth, Emissary won nicely at Wolverhampton and is a half-brother to Workforce and Fiji impressed me when winning at Lingfield in January and could be anything, as they say.

He shaped with lots of promise on debut, and KHALIFA SAT gets off the mark at the second time of asking for @AndrewBalding2 in the Future Stayers' Maiden Stakes at @Goodwood_Races under @JPSPENCER1980!

️ @RacingTVpic.twitter.com/IMf2oKAOOV

— Timeform Live (@TimeformLive) September 25, 2019

LEOPARDSTOWN

3.00pm: Another tight race to call but Falcon Eight just about shades these on form and a reproduction of his Sandown win last season makes him the one to beat.

4.10pm: Heliac has a bit to find with most of these but she really progressed through the ranks last season, and her pedigree suggests this step up to 1m4f will see more improvement, too.