Doncaster preview: Portland Handicap (14.35)

Bogart can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the ultra-competitive 5f Portland Handicap at Doncaster (14.35).

The Kevin Ryan trained gelding is on a long losing run, having not scored since beating Goldream by 3/4 of a length at York back in 2013 off a mark of 97.

However the six-year-old has posted a number of solid efforts, including when runner-up to Muthmir in this contest last year off 93.

Bogart showed plenty of pace to race at the head of affairs and kept on well to be beaten two lengths by a horse that has gone on to win Group races and is now rated 115.

It was a cracking effort in receipt of just 7lb from Muthmir, and Bogart backed it up with a solid third of 26 to Huntsmans Close in the Ayr Silver Cup off the same rating.

The son of Bahamian Bounty is now able to race a mark of 90, 7lb lower than when last victorious, and that makes him dangerously well-treated on the pick of his form.

Bogart also comes into the contest having shaped well in his last three starts, and another plus is that the stable know what is required to win this contest having saddled Halmahera to land a hat-trick of successes from 2002-2004.

With the ground fine and, with Shane Gray in the saddle, everything looks in place for a massive run.

Barnet Fair has a good record in big field sprint handicaps and rates a big danger.

The Dandy Nicholls trained gelding is not the easiest to win with due to his come from behind tactics, but is useful when things do drop right as he showed when winning the Stewards’ Cup consolation race at Goodwood last year.