Horse Racing Betting: Donn McClean’s Horses To Follow

Before we dive in, some basic rules for a horses to follow list is to keep them in a tracker and on your radar for the next three runs.

Consider ideal conditions across variables like venue, ground, opposition and ensure prices on betting sites are satisfactory to you as a punter. 

This column should help you build up a list that proves profitable under those circumstances.

It should also provide timely reminders to reduce repeated form study and assist with your enjoyment of a season, be it National Hunt or Flat racing.

Jon Riggens - Cork, 28th July

Jon Riggens did well to get as close as he did in the five-furlong premier handicap at Cork last Friday evening. 

Held up early on towards the far side, as is his wont, he was still last of the 14 runners as they raced inside the two-furlong marker. He picked up well though towards the far side for James Ryan, he made his way among horses and he finished off his race well. 

He got past Dun Na Sead into third place, and he failed by just a head and a neck to get to Gabriella's Spirit and Little Queenie.

This was a race in which it was difficult to make ground from the rear. The first four had a little break on the rest of the field at the winning line, and the other three horses who, with Jon Riggens, filled those places, all raced handily.

Eddie Lynam's horse is in the form of his life at present, and a big pot may not be far away. 

Three of his last four runs - the exception being his performance in the Rockingham at The Curragh last month, when he effectively and uncharacteristically refused to race - are up there with the best of his career.

He will always be a hostage to fortune, given his hold-up style of racing, but he is a highly-talented sprint handicapper. 

He is at his best over five furlongs on soft or heavy ground, so interest in him will be heightened when the ground softens further as we move into the autumn.

Northern Express - Ascot, 29th July

Northern Express put up a good performance to finish fourth in the Moet & Chandon International Handicap at Ascot last Saturday. 

Settled nicely by Paul Mulrennan just behind the leaders in the near-side group through the early stages of the race, he travelled well just behind the pace on the run to the two-furlong marker. Angled towards the near side, he got a nice gap just to the left of the leader Baradar. 

He picked up well from there and, while he couldn't get to Baradar - who ran out a good winner in the end - he finished off his race well to take fourth place, just a length behind the winner, with a nice break between him and the fifth-placed Fools Rush In.

Michael Dods' horse has been in top form of late, his last five performances have been up there with the best of his life, and this was probably the best of them all. The handicapper raised him by just 1lb from the mark off which he raced here under his penalty, and that was not harsh.

He will be of interest wherever he goes next, and he is versatile in terms of ground conditions, but he will be of particular interest when he runs next at York. 

He holds an entry in the Clipper Handicap over a mile at York's Ebor meeting and, while he is probably at his absolute best over seven furlongs, he is also effective over a mile, as he proved when he won the Thirsk Hunt Cup in May, and when he finished a close-up third in the Hambleton Handicap at York's Dante meeting.

Lady Lunette - Gowran Park, 29th July

Lady Lunette ran out an impressive winner of the fillies' one-mile maiden at Gowran Park last Saturday. 

She always travelled well through her race for Dylan Browne McMonagle, up on the outside and fifth or sixth of the 10 runners. Taken wide into the home straight she travelled well to the two-furlong marker, where she hit the front and collided with a rival on her inside.

That didn't halt her momentum though, she picked up nicely on the run to the furlong marker and she came right away from runner-up Muharar's Girl inside the final 200 yards, and Muharar's Girl finished well clear of the rest.

This was Ray Cody's filly's sixth run, and it was her best yet. She is a strong, strapping filly, and she impressed with the attitude that she showed, and the strength with which she finished off her race, despite still showing signs of greenness. 

Unraced as a juvenile last season, she only just failed to get up in a one-mile fillies' handicap at Limerick on her previous run, when she did well to get as close as she did off a sedate pace. 

She made no mistake at Gowran Park though. She handled the soft ground well too, and that augurs well for the remainder of the season. The handicapper raised her by 12lb to a mark of 84, but she could be up to a mark of that magnitude.

She holds an entry in a fillies' handicap at The Curragh on Sunday, and she will be of interest if she lines up in that, but she will be of interest wherever she goes next.

Treacherous - York, 29th July

Treacherous did well to finish fourth in the Jump Jockeys' Nunthorpe at York on Saturday from his high draw. 

Squeezed out of it a little shortly after the start, he was well behind the front runners on the stands side early on, and the front runners on the stands side were behind the front runners on the far side. 18th of the 19 runners after they had gone two furlongs, David Bass moved him to his left, towards the centre of the track, in order that he could get racing room. 

He got a gap as they raced inside the two-furlong marker, at which point the field was effectively in a diagonal line across the track, far-side runners in front, near-side runners behind. 

Treacherous did well to finish off his race as well as he did to take fourth place behind Soul Seeker, who made all the running on the far side from a low draw.

The low-drawn horses dominated. The other six horses who, with Treacherous, filled the first six places raced, respectively, from stalls eight, four, three, nine, one and five. Treacherous finished fourth from stall 16. 

Ed de Giles horse finished only seventh in a six-furlong handicap at Windsor on Monday evening, but you can allow him that run, the ground was softer than ideal for him and he didn't have a lot of racing room in the near-side group, before finishing off his race well.

He is nine years old now, he doesn't have many secrets from many people, but he is bubbling under a little at present. He is obviously in great form, and he will be of interest when he can get back on some better ground or on all-weather.