Our Man From HQ gives you his best bets on Racing Post Trophy day

With the Flat season gradually coming to an end, it is a habitually difficult time to find a winner at this time of the year. Many horses are over the top and their form goes out the window. All it takes is one cold night and with the long hard season, which most of them have had, they could be finished for the year. Ground is another major factor for which the form book is turned on its head, so care must be taken when parting with your hard earned cash. I can’t wait for the clocks to go back this weekend, at least it will be daylight when watching gallops. I’ve seen horses galloping in the pitch black this week and I also witnessed some horses being schooled through the starting stalls and you couldn’t even see your hand in front of you, it was that dark!

What’s all that about? Town is full of yearlings being broken in and the lunge pits are full, all you can hear is the encouraging words “cup cup cup” as the test pilots urge their mounts to go forward. The babies are all pretty good this time of the year, it’s after Christmas when they start getting fed food full of energy. Then mix that with a streak of adolescence, that’s when there will be plenty of white knuckle rides and loose ones flying about the place.

The Racing Post Trophy is the final domestic Group One of the year on the flat and it would be brilliant to see Sir Mark Prescott take it on his first attempt. He saddles Celestial Path (3.50 Doncaster) and I really do think this horse is a machine. He came from last to first on debut at York to win going away, which is basically unheard of. He then bolted up by four lengths in a Listed race at Haydock. I’m convinced by what I’ve seen that this son of Footstepsinthesand has two gear changes and he will win this in the style of a serious beast.

Earlier in the day down at Newbury, William Haggas runs Muffri Ha in the 2.50. She couldn’t have been any more impressive when scooting clear of her rivals at Chester last month and considering she raced very freely in the hands of Graham Gibbons, the performance can definitely be upgraded. I saw her draw clear of her workmates up the Al Bahathri last Saturday and she oozes class and could be anything. Nowadays at Haggas’ yard, there are a couple of good judges working there and they are all over this filly so get on early.