Doncaster preview: Wild about the chances of Bill

David Metcalf | November 27, 2015

Wild Bill can take advantage of what looks a lenient mark to open his account over fences in the 3m novices’ handicap chase on today’s card at Doncaster (15.05).

The gelding was a winning pointer in Ireland who shaped with plenty of promise in three spins over hurdles last season after joining trainer Evan Williams.

In the first of those over 2m 4f at Fakenham, Wild Bill got outpaced at a crucial stage before keeping on nicely under tender handling to finish a 2 1/4 length runner-up to the now 139-rated Broxbourne.

The six-year-old then found the drop back to 2m against him when sixth of 13 at Leicester, before posting a solid effort to finish a 2 2 3/4 length runner-up to the now 130-rated Three Faces West over 2m 4f at Haydock.

Judged on those efforts, Wild Bill is potentially very well-treated off a mark of just 116, and his future was always going to lie over the larger obstacles when stepped up further in trip.

Although he failed to complete on chasing debut at Ffos Las earlier in the month, the son of Westerner was in the process of running a huge race and still going well on the heels of the leaders when coming to grief three from home.

Whether Wild Bill would have won or not is debatable, but he shaped with plenty of promise and showed enough to suggest he was ahead of the assessor.

Malin Bay worth a bet

In the 3m handicap hurdle that opens proceedings (12.15), Malin Bay can build on a highly promising comeback run to land the spoils.

The Nicky Richards trained gelding had just two starts in 2014, but showed that he retained plenty of ability when third to Island Heights at Ayr last month after a 16 month lay-off.

Mailn Bay travelled strongly for much of the contest, and only weakened close home to be beaten 2 3/4 lengths after making costly errors at the last two flights.

The winner, from whom he was receiving 2lb, is a progressive sort who has since gone on to land a valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock in terrifific style off 125 to give the form a solid look.

Although Malin Bay now has to race off a 2lb higher mark of 120, that is the same as when last successful and gives the 10-year-old every chance from a handicapping perspective.

Selections

12.15: Malin Bay (NB)
12.45: Attention Please
13.20: Off The Ground
13.55: Iniciar
14.30: Charbel
15.05: Wild Bill (NAP)
15.35: Meribel Millie

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