Recent history tells us that anything that John Gosden runs in the Betfred November Handicap at Doncaster deserves the utmost respect and the Newmarket handler has two entered this year. Aiken, a former Group 2 winner, has been highly tried in a light campaign this season and is a 16/1 chance with Coral, Skybet and William Hill but Lahaag may have a better chance of success. He arrives off the back of a recent win on good ground at York and is 8/1 with Coral, Stan James and William Hill but only beat NICHOLASCOPERNICUS by three-quarters-of-a-length and the runner-up is a couple of pounds better off. Ed Walker‘s charge again ran well over the course and distance of this weekend’s race two weeks ago and looks sure to give supporters a run for their money again at a general 12/1.
Highland Castle (16/1 with Coral, Skybet and Stan James) finished ahead of the selection last time and is arguably the pick of the weights again. But Nicholascopernicus was given plenty to do that day and it was only inside the final furlong that he began to pick off rivals. Andrea Atzeni will be under orders to have him closer turning for home this weekend and he is the early value as he appears to have the beating of Rio’s Rosanna (a general 33/1) and Itlaaq (also a general 33/1).
Forgotten Hero showed he stayed the trip over course and distance in September and is a general 14/1. He’s only 3lb higher while a case could certainly be made for Communicator on his best form. Widely available at 20/1, he races off a 3lb lower mark than when runner-up in the race last year though this season’s efforts have been largely disappointing and he was beaten five lengths by Kiama Bay (33/1 with Coral) when last seen in August. Recent Nottingham winner Twelve Strings (25/1 with Skybet) could play a part off a low weight if the ground turned heavy while Rhombus (16/1 with Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill) may prove the best of the three-year-olds but most of the money this week has been for Conduct.
William Haggas looks to have trained the six-year-old with this race in mind and the grey, who has only had five career starts, is only a best 7/1. He wasn’t beaten far over 1m2f at Doncaster last time but has never raced over the extra and he’s just too short in the betting now to take a risk on his stamina in such a competitive affair and Border Legend (12/1 with BetVictor) could also struggle to last home.
