The Ladbrokes Portland is the big handicap on the Saturday card of the Leger meeting at Doncaster. Run over 5F 140 yards it is always an enthralling cavalry charge that has thrown up some memorable finishes in the past decade.



Below we take a look at the trends for the past 10 years:



Age (Win-Place-Runners)

3yo: 0-3-28

4yo: 2-12-54

5yo: 6-2-49

6yo: 0-5-28

7yo+: 2-8-51

horses aged 3: 0-3-28

horses aged 4 or 5: 8-14-103

horses aged 6+: 2-13-79

horses aged 4 or 5 have won 8 of last 10 from approximately 49% of total runners.

Since 2004 there have been 28 runners aged 3, all have been beaten with only 3 making the frame.



Weights

horses carrying 9-7 or more: 1-4-38

horses carrying 9-0 to 9-6: 5-15-96

horses carrying 8-7 to 8-13: 4-10-71

horses carrying 8-0 to 8-6: 0-1-5

9 of 10 winners (last 9) carried between 8-11 and 9-6.

Top Weight: 69206407600 (0-2-11)



Official Ratings

horses rated 101 or more: 1-5-36

horses rated 91 to 100: 9-20-159

horses rated 90 or less: 0-5-15

In past 7 years all 7 winners and 21 of 28 places were filled by horses officially rated between 94 and 101.



Recent/Past Form

10 of 10 winners had run at least 3 times that year

6 of 10 winners finished in first 4 last time out (3 exceptions were unplaced in Great St Wilfrid & other unplaced in a class 2 handicap at York Ebor meeting)

9 of 10 winners posted an RPR of 92+ last time

10 of 10 winners ran in a class 3 or better last time out

10 of 10 winners had run in past 35 days

8 of 10 winners had won over 5 furlongs (1 exception 2nd over 5F on previous start, other exception not run over 5F)

8 of 10 winners had won over 6 furlongs

10 of 10 winners had won a race with 10+ runners in it

6 of 8 British-trained winners had won at class 2 level or above (one exception placed in a listed race over this CD)

6 of 10 winners had contested a class 1 race

Since 2000, all 12 British-trained winners had last start at Ripon, York, Haydock, Sandown or Goodwood



Other Races

Steward's Sprint winner (Barnet Fair): 0310 (1-1-4)

Gosforth Park Cup winner (Robot Boy): 100045 (1-1-6)

4 of 10 winners ran in the Great St Wilfrid, finishing 9008

4 of 10 winners ran in Al Rayan H'cap at Newmarket, finishing 0060

2 of 10 winners ran in Stewards Cup, finishing 65 (1 ran in Stewards Sprint, finishing 1st)

2 of 10 winners ran in the Epsom Dash, finishing 64

2 of 10 winners ran in the Northern Sprint Cup, finishing 08

2 of 10 winners ran in the Rockingham handicap, finishing 05

2 of 10 winners ran in the Skybet Dash, finishing 80

2 of 10 winners ran in the Gosforth Sprint Cup, finishing 51

2 of 10 winners ran in previous year's Wentworth Stakes, finishing 43



Trainers

Kevin Ryan (1-3-21) won the race with Halmahera in 02, 03 & 04 and he also saddled both the 2nd & 4th in 2009 & 2010 and the 5th in 2011.

Stuart Williams (1-1-3) saddled Hogmaneigh to finish 3rd in 2006 & win it in 2008.

Clive Cox (1-1-5), Charlie Hills (1-0-1), David O’Meara (1-0-3), David Barron (1-0-5) & Tim Etherington (1-0-4) have all trained the winner once in the past 10 years.

William Muir (0-2-2), Ron Harris (0-2-8) & Tim Easterby (0-2-9) have each saddled a couple of placed finishers.

Roger Varian (0-1-1) & Jamie Osbourne (0-1-1) have both seen their one representative since 2004 get placed.

Dandy Nicholls (0-2-26) has a poor record in this since 2004, having found just 2 places from 26 runners.



Racing Style

10 of 10 winners were held up in midfield or in rear

The race is usually run at a fierce gallop and horses that are played late often do best.



Draw (excluding 2006 when run at York)

horses drawn 1 to 7: 2-7-63

horses drawn 8 to 14: 3-11-63

horses drawn 15 or higher: 4-9-64

horses drawn 12 or higher have won 9 of last 11 runnings at Doncaster.



Price

9 of 10 winners were priced between 11/1 and 20/1

Favourites (1-2-13) have won just 1 of the last 10, giving a level stakes loss of 5.00.



Summary:

Based on trends from the past 10 years you are looking for a horse:

- Aged 4 or 5

- Carrying 8-11 to 9-6

- Officially rated 94 to 101

- Run at least 3 times in 2014

- Finished in first 4 last time (or unplaced in Great St Wilfrid)

- Posted an RPR of 92+ last time

- Ran in last 35 days in a class 3 or higher

- Won at class 2 level or higher

- Won over 5F and 6F

- Won a handicap with 14+ runners

- Previously contested a class 1 sprint

- Ran in the Great St Wilfrid and/or Stewards Cup/Sprint

- Ran in Al Rayan H’cap, Gosforth Sprint Cup and/or Epsom Dash

- Drawn in 12 or higher

- Hold-up horses favoured

- Trained by Kevin Ryan, Stuart Williams, Clive Cox or William Muir

- Priced between 11/1 and 20/1.