Tag: Doncaster

St Leger Day Preview

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We are on a roll after Lightning Thunder (5-2), The Lark (15-8) and Ihtimal (13-8). Followers of my regular column for a well-known bookmaker may have helped themselves to five consecutive winners on Friday including 10-1 shot Sir Reginald! If anyone had them in an accumulator donations are welcome!

That heaps the pressure on for the final day of the St Leger meeting. I would love to have stuck with the girls after the three flying fillies so far this week but I am entrusting the nap vote to a colt on Saturday. The horse in question is Godolphin’s Outstrip in the opening Champagne Stakes.

Anyone who saw the grey horse’s debut at Newmarket in June cannot fail to have been impressed. After a tardy start, he swept through the field to defeat stable companion True Story by a length and a half. But it was his second outing at Goodwood that marks him out as a seriously talented colt.

Racing keenly over seven furlongs in the Group 2 Veuve Cliquot Champagne Stakes at Goodwood, he was driven into the lead over a furlong out and quickly went two lengths clear. Richard Hughes was still on a high from Toronado’s Sussex Stakes victory and galvanised Toormore to cut down Outstrip on the line by a neck. Richard Fahey’s Parbold was staying on well in third place in going officially described as good to soft.

Parbold has since finished a close third in the Gimcrack Stakes at York whilst the fourth and fifth have both run respectably at Town Moor this week. One of his main rivals could be another imposing grey in the form of The Great Gatsby. He seemed to run in snatches at York last time and was possibly a little flattered by his proximity to Treaty Of Paris at the line. The betting suggests that The Great Gatsby will finish in front here but I wouldn’t be too sure.

Anjaal did nothing wrong when winning the July Stakes at Newmarket but that form has been let down since and all of his form is on a faster surface. Cable Bay ran on well in the Gimcrack and could be better suited by the extra furlong here but I feel that Outstrip will have too much dash for these if he is delivered late.

Our ante-post bet on Excess Knowledge at 7-1 has at least made it to the day of the race and it’s all in the capable hands of James Doyle. Good luck to him on his first classic ride in the famous Abdullah silks.

Outstrip 9-4 Totesport, Betfred

Doncaster Day 3 Preview

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So far so good at Doncaster this week with The Lark (15-8) confirming herself to be a top class filly in the Park Hill. The girls have been kind to us this week with Lightning Thunder (5-2) giving us a great start on Wednesday and we are sticking with the fairer sex for Friday’s card.

The filly I like in the May Hill Stakes is Godolphin’s Ihtimal. “Progressive” is possibly over-used when referring to two-year-olds but there is no doubt that this filly has got better with every race. She started off at Goodwood and had the misfortune to come up against none other than Kiyoshi. She actually gave her a run for her money and it was no disgrace to finish only a length and a half down on the subsequent Royal Ascot winner.

She was made favourite for her next outing at Newmarket but was run out of it by stable companion Wedding Ring, eventually going down by a neck. She was then upped in class and distance at Royal Ascot and took on the boys in the Chesham Stakes over seven furlongs. In finishing third to Berkshire, she split some decent colts in Bunker and Somewhat, both of whom have gone on to subsequent victories.

Ihtimal’s most recent performance was her best, storming clear to win the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket. Interestingly she had Wedding Ring over three lengths behind in third and she was drawing away at the finish. The mile should prove no problem to the daughter of Sharmardal and I won’t be opposing her until she is beaten.

Godolphin also run Majeyda who was undone by the draw on her second start at Newmarket before bouncing back with a win at Sandown. She readily held a useful filly in Qawaasem by a neck and that form looks solid. I’m confident that Ihtimal will prove the best of the Godolphin duo but I am slightly wary of Richard Hannon’s Lustrous who won nicely at Salisbury on her debut. There is no telling how good she might be but this looks a tough assignment on only her second start.

Eleven horses have been declared for the St Leger on Saturday but I was a bit miffed to find that Feel Like Dancing was not among them. I’d tipped him at 40-1 a couple of weeks ago and earlier this week connections were said to be pleased by the ease in the ground and expecting a big run with William Buick in the saddle. Our hopes now rest on our 7-1 about Excess Knowledge. In the meantime, let’s hope that Ihtimal can provide us with a profit for the third consecutive day of the Leger meeting.

Ihtimal 7-4 Ladbrokes

Doncaster Day 2 Preview

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It was nice to get back on the winning trail on the opening day of Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, courtesy of Lightning Thunder at 5-2. She may only have scraped home but she showed plenty of promise for the future and it will be interesting to see whether trainer Olly Stevens steps her up in class with the benefit of this experience under her belt.

I am hoping that another filly can provide us with more cause for celebration on Thursday in the shape of Michael Bell’s The Lark. Regular readers will remember that I picked her out at 33-1 for the Oaks in the summer and she rewarded my support when running on strongly into third behind Talent. She has only managed to get back on the racecourse once since then due to the fast ground. Michael Bell took her over to France but the race was run at a false pace and she could never get into the race won by Pacific Rim.

I think it is safe to put a line through that race and Bell seems optimistic that she can leave that form well behind in the Park Hill Stakes on Thursday. The Lark looked like a filly with a future when she won under Hayley Turner on Town Moor last autumn. She did not reappear until the Swettenham Stud Trial at Newbury in May and was again the victim of a falsely run race. She was held up in a race run at a dawdle and quickened up well enough in the straight without threatening to get to Winsili.

That filly proved good enough to win the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood so it was a far better effort that first appeared. Ironically it is Hayley Turner that could provide the biggest threat to The Lark tomorrow when she partners Seal Of Approval. James Fanshawe’s filly is nothing if not game and battled on bravely to win a listed race at Newbury last month. Those that finished behind her that day have done little for the form and The Lark should have too much class for her.

My one concern is that I seem to be a bit of a jinx when it comes to backing Jamie Spencer. I don’t expect the field to go off at a blistering pace over this trip and I’d expect to see The Lark held up in third or fourth rather than stone last.

The Lark 7-4 Ladbrokes

Doncaster Day 1 Preview

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The opening day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster lacks the quality of the remainder of the week and has been deemed not worthy of the attendance of Channel 4 cameras. It seems a strange bit of scheduling to start a classic meeting with a card that does not have a single Group race on the menu but I’m sure that the race planners have their reasons.

Once again, the weather is threatening to intervene with heavy downpours predicted for around midday. The going is reported to be good at the moment so I’d imagine it wouldn’t be worse than good to soft by the time they go to post for the 2.30.

The one I am interested in here is the Olly Stevens-trained filly Lightning Thunder. I’m a big fan of maiden races from Newbury and Newmarket and the daughter of Dutch Art beat a useful Hannon horse that had the benefit of a previous outing in Tea In Transvaal. That may not sound like top class form but it was the manner of her victory that impressed me.

She was held up in midfield before moving up smoothly on the near side and then quickening up to challenge the favourite. She ducked away slightly from the whip but she can be forgiven that on her racecourse debut and the trainer believes she could be a Group 1 filly. If all goes well at Doncaster, she may finish her season in either the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket or at Longchamp on Arc day in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

The trainer’s words suggest that nothing short of victory is expected tomorrow. He said: “From the first time we saw her at the sales she looked the part. It is too soon to aim her at Pattern company so she will run in a conditions race at Doncaster next week before looking to bigger pots. I would expect her to show definite improvement at Doncaster.”

Justice Day has the best form in the book having been beaten only 3 lengths in the Gimcrack last time whilst Expert represents the Hannon-Hughes combination. The grey by Mastercraftsman has had his limitations exposed in better company and may have to play second fiddle to Lightning Thunder.

With concerns about the state of the ground it is difficult to get too excited about the rest of the card. It will be interesting to see how Gatewood fares now that he is back in the care of John Gosden. His Australian campaign faltered after a rushed preparation to try to make the Melbourne Cup line up and he has been sent back to Newmarket in the hope of rekindling his enthusiasm. He may be a difficult horse to place now that he has exhausted handicap options so a watching brief is advised.

Lightning Thunder 5-2 (Ladbrokes)

St Leger Ante-Post Preview

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With the Epsom Derby form having been torn to shreds and the Irish Derby winner soundly beaten at Ascot, the market for the season’s final classic is looking wide open. Galileo Rock has retained his position at the head of the market by virtue of the fact that he ran on doggedly at the end of both classics to finish in the frame. He may well be the obvious form choice but he does seem a bit one-paced and must be vulnerable to something with a bit of toe.

Aidan O’Brien has not even left Ruler Of The World in the race with his belief being that the horse will be better suited by a drop back to a mile and a quarter after his dire performance at the Curragh. According to the market, Queen’s Vase winner Leading Light is now exactly that for Ballydoyle. He certainly has the stamina for the race but he had to work pretty hard to shake off John Gosden’s Feel Like Dancing. The quality of the race is also open to question, although the runner-up has managed to win at Newmarket since.

Gosden may have a stronger contender in Excess Knowledge who should have won the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time out. He made a belated seasonal debut at Sandown over an inadequate mile and a quarter and ran on after coming under pressure a long way from home to take third. That was against some decent older opposition in Mandour and Afsare.

Quite why jockey William Buick elected to hold him up towards the rear at Goodwood is a mystery to me. He managed to get himself boxed in when needing to get a run and it eventually cost him the race, finishing strongly in second behind Cap O’Rushes. The winner is no slouch having finished fourth in the Irish Derby, albeit as a pacemaker for Libertarian, but most observers agreed that the best horse finished second.

I was initially disappointed by the race but not half as much as the Gosden team as Buick returned in near silence. To be fair, Buick is one of the better riders and this was more of an aberration than a regular occurrence. He showed his true colours when riding a four-timer at Newmarket last weekend. I remember watching Conduit run a similar race a few years ago and he improved leaps and bounds by the time of the Leger.

The Great Voltigeur Stakes at York next week could tell us a great deal more about the leading protagonists. I am not aware of any firm declarations for the race at this stage but Gosden could run one of his Leger hopefuls, O’Brien has ten entries and Libertarian could make his reappearance. Excess Knowledge looks to be the one with most scope and can continue Gosden’s terrific record in the race.

Excess Knowledge 7-1 Ladbrokes

Racing Preview Saturday 4th May

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Saturday’s feature race is the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but there are plenty of other races worthy of study. In truth, the rest of Newmarket’s card is a little disappointing. I am often surprised at the poor turnout for Group races in this country and the Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2) is a case in point. Just four runners for a £100,000 race preceding the first classic of the season? I know that the authorities do their best with the re-opening of races but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of a change to the programme next year.

The opening race is an interesting handicap and the betting is likely to revolve around Rye House, trained by Sir Michael Stoute. He doesn’t keep them in training at four unless they are likely to pay their way and the lightly raced son of Dansili starts the season on a fair handicap mark. The Palace House Stakes is typically competitive and I’m a big fan of Spirit Quartz, trained by Robert Cowell. He won well enough at Nottingham first time out and is surely destined for a big sprint victory this season. I would have been more confident but for being drawn 15 tomorrow but he looks worth supporting at 13-2.

In the 4.25 I’ve got to side with Fils Anges who got no run at all when a beaten favourite last time out. Michael Bell’s grey colt was gaining with every stride but the post came too soon in the Nottingham race won by Mayfield Girl. The form of the race may not be anything special but the extra furlong will help and Hayley Turner can guide him to victory. Mark Johnston runs Windhoek quite quickly after winning a valuable sales race here last month. That looked a better class of race than he faces tomorrow and it will be disappointing if he cannot remain unbeaten.

Away from Newmarket there are one or two horses worth noting for the season ahead. William Haggas is sending Sentaril to Goodwood to start her campaign. She looked a smart filly last season but never quite fulfilled the promise of her great run in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot. She won over a mile on the all-weather without really having the run of the race and can confirm the placings with runner-up Burke’s Rock on the way to better things.

Sir Michael Stoute runs another useful sort in Enrol in the sprint handicap at Doncaster tomorrow evening. The lightly-raced daughter of Pivotal won two of her four starts as a three-year-old and is difficult to assess on that form. Cheveley Park will be hoping she can step up from handicaps to listed class later in the season and she will be a popular choice here. There is also a good quality card at Thirsk featuring the Thirsk Hunt Cup. David O’Meara’s stable continue to churn out the winners and he is well represented throughout the meeting. However, the draw has not been kind to his horses and course regular Dubai Dynamo could represent each-way value.

Rye House 2.05 Newmarket 7-1 Paddy Power
Spirit Quartz 2.35 Newmarket 13-2 Paddy Power
Fils Anges (NAP) 4.25 Newmarket 8-1 Paddy Power
Windhoek 5.00 Newmarket 11-8 Bet365
Sentaril (NB) 4.05 Goodwood 11-4 Bet Victor
Dubai Dynamo 4.35 Thirsk 16-1 Bet365
Enrol 6.45 Doncaster 3-1 Bet365