Aintree and Doncaster Racing Preview: Seven Horses to Watch on Saturday

The William Hill Molyneux Hurdle makes its Aintree debut as part of a revised National Hunt programme, having previously been run at Wincanton as the Elite Hurdle. This Grade 2 contest takes place over approximately two miles and one furlong, with nine hurdles to negotiate and a total prize fund of £70,000, including £41,608 for the winner. Aintree’s relatively flat and left-handed Mildmay course presents a different challenge from Wincanton’s more undulating circuit, placing considerable emphasis on rhythm, jumping accuracy and speed. The going is currently reported as good to soft, with good patches, and the six-runner field includes Alexei and Mydaddypaddy, two horses with established high-level hurdles form.

Six-year-old Alexei returns to Aintree following a productive 2025/26 campaign that established him among Britain’s leading two-mile hurdlers. Trained by Joe Tizzard, the gelding won competitive handicaps at Ascot and Cheltenham before securing a Grade 2 victory at Wincanton in February, defeating Rubaud over an extended mile and seven furlongs.

He subsequently stepped up to Grade 1 company, finishing fourth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham before taking third in the Aintree Hurdle in April. Although the latter contest was run over a longer distance, his performance demonstrated his ability to compete against high-class opposition.

Alexei carries an official rating of 158 and is set to shoulder 11st 4lb, including a penalty for his previous Grade 2 success. His experience at Aintree and established form over shorter distances make his seasonal return an interesting aspect of Saturday’s race.

Dan Skelton’s Mydaddypaddy is another notable name in the Molyneux Hurdle field. The five-year-old son of Walk In The Park enjoyed a promising novice campaign, recording consecutive victories before progressing to more demanding assignments.

His latest two appearances resulted in second- and third-place finishes, suggesting that he remained competitive as the quality of opposition increased. Rated 153, he arrives with a relatively lightly raced profile compared with some of the more experienced runners.

Saturday marks his return after approximately eight months away from the racecourse. Harry Skelton is booked to ride, with Mydaddypaddy carrying 11st. His previous novice form and step up to open Grade 2 company provide an opportunity to assess his development against established hurdlers.

The Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase is another Grade 2 highlight on Aintree’s Saturday programme, bringing together promising horses making the transition from hurdles to fences. Run over approximately two miles and four furlongs on the Mildmay course, the race offers £75,000 in total prize money, with £44,580 going to the winner. The course’s relatively sharp bends and regulation fences demand accurate jumping, particularly from horses still developing their chasing technique. Good to soft ground is currently reported, while the race provides an early opportunity for connections to assess their horses’ potential ahead of more prestigious novice chases later in the National Hunt season.

Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This End enters the new season with an impressive record over hurdles and considerable expectations surrounding his transition to chasing.

The six-year-old grey won the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in December 2025, establishing himself as one of the leading staying novices of his generation. However, his unbeaten hurdles record came to an end when he was pulled up in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

He subsequently returned to winning form in a Listed three-mile novice hurdle at Perth in April. That victory provided a positive conclusion to a campaign in which he won four of his five starts over hurdles.

Saturday’s race presents a different challenge, with the focus shifting to his ability to negotiate larger fences at competitive speed. Sam Twiston-Davies is booked to ride, and his first appearance over fences will be particularly interesting given the quality he demonstrated over hurdles.

Talk To The Man arrives with the advantage of a successful chasing debut, having made an encouraging start under new trainer Dan Skelton at Worcester on 21 October.

Previously trained by Paul Nicholls, the six-year-old won two of his three starts over hurdles last season before moving to Skelton’s stable. His first appearance over fences resulted in a convincing victory in a beginners’ chase over two miles and four furlongs.

Ridden by Harry Skelton, Talk To The Man jumped fluently and defeated Klimt Madrik by four and a quarter lengths on good to soft ground. The performance was particularly encouraging given that it came over a similar distance to Saturday’s Grade 2 contest.

His official rating has risen to 143, and the move into graded company represents a significant step up in competition. Nevertheless, his recent experience over fences provides an interesting contrast with rivals making their chasing debuts.

The Virgin Bet November Handicap is one of the traditional closing highlights of the British Flat racing season, attracting a competitive field of middle-distance runners to Doncaster. This Class 2 handicap is contested over approximately one mile and four furlongs, with a total prize fund of £75,000, including £38,655 for the winner. Unlike the graded races at Aintree, horses carry different weights based on their handicap ratings, adding another competitive element to the contest. Doncaster’s broad, galloping course and long home straight favour horses with proven stamina, while the currently reported soft ground could make the closing stages particularly demanding.

Three-year-old Nobody Knows is among the younger contenders in the November Handicap, bringing a relatively lightly raced profile to the competitive field.

Trained by Richard Hughes, the colt began his career with consecutive victories before encountering stronger opposition. His subsequent performances included a third-place finish and a fifth-place finish at York, where he made late progress after finding himself some distance behind the leaders.

The step up to approximately a mile and a half raises another question about his stamina, although his previous performances on soft ground offer useful insight into how he might handle Saturday’s conditions.

Rated 93 and carrying 8st 10lb, Nobody Knows will be partnered by Ryan Moore. His limited racing experience and potential for further development make him an interesting runner to follow in this established end-of-season contest.

Alfred Wincham approaches Saturday’s race following a progressive campaign that has included success in both National Hunt and Flat racing.

The four-year-old, trained by Patrick Neville, won a bumper earlier in the year before establishing himself on the Flat. His September victory at Doncaster was particularly relevant to this weekend’s assignment, demonstrating his ability to perform effectively along the course’s long home straight.

He followed that success with another victory at Kempton in October, providing further evidence of his development over middle distances.

Alfred Wincham has an official rating of 94 and is set to carry 9st 2lb, with Oisin Orr booked to ride. His previous experience at Doncaster and improving form provide a useful basis for assessing his chances, although Saturday’s large-field handicap presents a different challenge from his recent assignments.

Castle Cove returns to Doncaster with a particularly notable achievement already on his record: victory in the 2025 November Handicap.

Trained by William Haggas, the gelding won last year’s renewal over a mile and a half on heavy ground, producing a strong late finish under Jason Hart to defeat Miss Dolly Rocker by four and a quarter lengths.

His success demonstrated his ability to handle testing conditions and navigate a competitive handicap field. It also established his credentials over Saturday’s course and distance.

The five-year-old has not raced since that triumph, meaning he is set to return after an absence of almost 12 months. His official rating has increased from 92 to 100, and he is set to carry 9st 8lb, with Cieren Fallon booked to ride.

The combination of his previous course success, lengthy absence and higher handicap mark makes Castle Cove’s comeback one of the more interesting aspects of this year’s November Handicap.