The Betfred Ebor Handicap winner Mutual Regard could be heading back to Yorkshire for his next race. Johnny Murtagh is considering lining up his five year-old in Friday’s Doncaster Cup in an effort to boost his prospects of making it into the Emirates Melbourne Cup.
Mutual Regard: Doncaster Cup an option for Ebor winner PICTURE: Getty Images
Mutual Regard joined Murtagh at the beginning of the season, and has so far won two of his three starts under the trainer. Speaking on Friday, Murtagh said: “We put him in the Doncaster Cup and I’ll be discussing plans with Andrew [Tinkler, owner] over the weekend. I’d love the horse to go to Flemington but we’ll need to know whether he has a realistic chance of getting into the race.
“It’s all up in the air, but if he could finish in the first three in a Group 2 it should help his chances of getting to Melbourne. He came out of the Ebor very well.”
The five year-old is currently a 33-1 shot with 
Paddy Power for the Melbourne Cup but the 148-strong entry field will need to be seriously culled before the race that stops the nation is run on November 4.
The Doncaster Cup may be a Group 2 race, but that doesn’t mean Mutual Regard won’t face his fair share of struggles in taking out the race. He’ll have to outrun Times Up, winner of the Cup in both 2012 and 2013, who will be bidding for a hat-trick on Friday. The Queen’s Estimate could also run, who came second in last month’s Lonsdale Cup – one place ahead of Times Up.
Times Up’s trainer Ed Dunlop said: “It was a very good run at York, as it was almost like his first run of the year. He has come out of it well and improved as we expected. William Buick has been booked to ride and we’re very happy with him.
“Times Up had a little bit of trouble last year. I inherited him from my dad, and to see him come back to win a Doncaster Cup for the second time was hugely satisfying.
“I don’t know how many horses have won the Doncaster Cup three times and it would be a great achievement if he could do that. I think he proved at York that he’s back to his best.”
Other notable entries for the 2m2f race include 2012 Ebor winner Willing Foe and Northumberland Plate winner Angel Gabrial.
The Doncaster Cup is one of Britain’s leading events for “stayers” – horses which specialise in racing over long distances. It is the final leg of the Stayers’ Triple Crown, preceded by the Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup.
The race is held on the third day of Doncaster’s four-day St Leger Festival, which concludes on Saturday with the famous St Leger Stakes. With so much racing action going on this weekend, make sure you get your bets in at Paddy Power – the best online bookmaker.
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