By Andrew Atkinson
Ok Corral carrying top weight of 11st 12lb and bottom weight Monbeg River, carrying 10st 8lb, are both noted in the Sky Bet Listed Handicap Chase (3.15) over 2 miles and 7 furlongs at Doncaster on Saturday.
With the going good to soft, soft in places, 11 year old Monbeg River, trained in Cumbria by Martin Todhunter, is worthy of an each-way punt at 16-1.
Receiving a stone and four pounds from Nicky Henderson trained Ok Corral, can Monbeg River turn back the clock, having made his chasing bow in 2015, to bag the winner’s purse of £56,000?
Monbeg River, who ran sixth of seven at Aintree on soft ground over 3m in October 2019, was fifth of 13 in a Class 1 at Ayr last year, and ran second at Doncaster in a C1 over Saturday’s distance.
Ridden by Sean Quinlan, course winner and distance winner Monbeg River last won in December 2017 over 2m 3f.
Mr Derek O’Connor takes the ride on Henderson’s card, Ok Corral, a distance winner, tipped each-way at odds of 7-1.
Ok Corral finished ninth of 10 at Cheltenham on new year’s day having been hampered and made no impression thereafter under Barry Geraghty.
A winner at Warwick over 3m last year, Ok Corral’s CV, scribes finishing second in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham in 2018 in a 20 runners field over 2m 7f, with a trio of wins at Kempton.
Dingo Dollar, Azzerti (trained by Henderson) and Burbank are leading the betting at 11-2, 6-1 and 7-1, respectively.
