The Portland is always a nightmare of a handicap to sort out and this year’s edition doesn’t look any easier. I would say the standard is slightly lower than some years but that doesn’t make it any easier to find the winner. Last year’s second COUNT D’ORSAY gets in off bottom weight here and with the ground likely to be on the soft side I think he has a good chance of going one better. You can almost write off his form all summer as he really needs soft ground to be seen at his best. This could be the first time he encounters proper soft ground this year and off a much lower mark he could be a big player.
KINROSS looks to be one of the more solid bets this weekend and at 2/1 he doesn’t look a bad price for a potential banker. He holds most of these on form and there is no doubting he looks a Group 1 performer over this 7f trip. The others have it all to do in my view.
I’m taking a punt on ZIP at Musselburgh as he is dropping to a dangerous mark. He like Count D’Orsay hasn’t encountered soft ground too often this year which he much prefers. He’s been running respectably in much better races to be fair to him and this step down in grade might just give him the opportunity to get his head in front again. Doncaster 1.45 – Count D’orsay
Doncaster 2.55 – Kinross
Musselburgh 4.44 – Zip
