It would be insane not to have a small interest on Insanity in the November Handicap at Doncaster

November 7

The curtain comes down at Doncaster tomorrow on what has been a successful 2025 Flat season for Barbury, with the small squad of two-year-olds looking potentially exciting.

This has been a relatively quiet week for us, but Vivid Pink and Uhtred Ragnarson ensured at Huntingdon and Warwick respectively that we kick-started November as we ended October, while Believeitanducan and Faithful Guardian both kept their owners happy when encouraging runners-up at Newbury and Ludlow yesterday.

We finish off the turf Flat season on Town Moor, and Insanity represents us in the traditional season closer, the November Handicap, in which he trailed in at the back last year. However, he has enjoyed a good season this time around, winning at Ayr in June, since when he has been placed in three competitive handicaps, one at Ascot and two at York.

You had to admire the way in which Insanity hit the line on the Knavesmire last time. That extended mile and a quarter was arguably short of his best trip, but he was fast closing down on the winner at the line, being beaten only half a length in second place.

That was a career-best performance, but his new mark is only a pound higher, and returning to a mile and a half is also a bonus, so, while this is always a tough finale, Insanity is in such great form that it would be no surprise if he finished in the money.

Also heading up the A1 is Loughville, who runs in the Listed race for fillies for the second year running. She ran a cracker 12 months ago, finishing a highly respectable sixth behind this year’s Champions Fillies and Mares runner-up Estrange and being only two lengths behind fourth-placed Diamond Rain, who was an excellent third in the G1 Breeders Cup Fillies & Mare Turf in California last week-end.

Loughville has taken another step u[ the ladder this season and produced her career-best when finishing third in a Listed race for fillies at Goodwood in May, and, though her limitations were then exposed in three hot handicaps, dropped in class three weeks ago at Nottingham she recaptured her best form when beating subsequent Kempton winner King’s Code.

Lightfingered Jack makes his belated debut in the EBF Qualifier  at Aintree, and, while the six-year-old will learn plenty from this first experience, he is related to some smart jumping stars from yesteryear, none bigger than the mighty 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman,

The highly-rated Don’t Mind If I Do is also scheduled for a trip to Merseyside. He broke his maiden over hurdles at the second attempt at Wincanton last December but got stuck in the mud when attempting a follow-up over the same course six weeks later. He’ll obviously come on for his first race back, but Alan has always held a high opinion of him, so even with his big weight he is capable of being in the mix at the end.