2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips and Preview by Dave Stevos
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips and Preview for ITV3 Live Races
I was away on holidays so we didn’t have any tips for Day 1 at Doncaster. We were last in action on Saturday but we had to make do with a couple of places. Graignes was given a shocker by Adam Kirby and he is capable of much better. Rebel At Dawn was given a very strange ride, despite being well backed. Kirstenbosch gave us some relief, just holding on for a place advised e/w at 40/1. Brandon Castle did too much too early and Noble Masquerade was left with too much to do. Forever In Dreams, Equitation and Jabbarockie disappointed, but we finished with a 22/1 place with our NAP Almufti. You can check out Dave Stevos’ 2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips for Thursday below…
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips: 1.40pm – Nursery Handicap (Class 2)
The opening salvo on a cracking day of action at Doncaster is a treacherous looking nursery handicap. 16 are due to go to post and it should be beautiful good ground. The one I like at a monster price for each way purposes is Ocean Eyes. Trained by in form Richard Spencer, this Mehmas filly gets in off a mark of just 70 here. She has a couple of snippets of form that suggests that she could be well handicapped off that rating. Her last start on handicap debut was poor, but I am willing to forgive her that effort.
She was only 1.5L behind Setarhe when 3rd on debut and that filly is now rated in the high 90s. The easy ground was probably against her next time at Newbury but her run in the big sales race at the same track (5f gd) was a blinder. She was only beat 5L by G3 winner Happy Romance, conceding 2lb to that rival. Even Brazen Belle, who was a place and a short head in front of Ocean Eyes that day, was narrowly beat off 74 in a handicap next time and she was getting 6lb from our selection. Egan and Spencer teamed up to win this race in 2018 and at odds of 40/1 a small e/w interest is advised.
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips: Ocean Eyes e/w @ 40/1 (5 Places)
Doncaster: 2.10pm – May Hill Stakes (Group 2)
The first stakes race on Thursday’s card is the Group 2 May Hill Stakes. An 8f heat for 2yo fillies, just nine 2yos will go to post. The two unbeaten fillies, both once raced, head the market with Zabeel Queen the fav at around 6/4. By Frankel, she was impressive over 7f on debut and given her sire, this step up to a mile ought to suit. Indigo Girl was a winner over today’s trip on soft at Yarmouth. She is a full sister to the top class performer Journey and she falls into the could be anything category. The bare form of her win isn’t that impressive though and 3/1 looks short enough.
Those looking for a bit of each way value should have a look at Great Vibes. This daughter of Showcasing is exceedingly well bred. She is a half-sister to James Garfield who was a top class performer for the same connections. George Scott’s inmate got off the mark in good style on handicap debut at Newmarket (7f gd/fm), winning off 78. The form of her 3rd at Goodwood is decent too with plenty of winners coming out of the race.
With an official rating of just 84 clearly she has to improve to figure. However, she is having just her 4th start and she will surely be trying her best as black type would be massive for her given her pedigree. The step up to a mile should suit on breeding and with 33/1 on offer from a couple of firms, she is the each way pick.
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips: Great Vibes e/w @ 33/1
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips: 2.40pm – Weatherbys 2yo Stakes (Class 2)
With a prize pot of £200k you would have expected a bigger turn out for this 6.5f heat. Only 15 will line up in the stalls and given Richard Fahey’s tremendous record in this contest I’ll be having an each way punt on Bankrolled. This twice raced daughter of Requinto needs to bounce back from a below par run at Naas but in her defence, the testing ground was probably against her. She was much better on debut at York when beat a head by a horse that already had winning experience. Plenty of the horses behind her that day have won since so the form looks decent.
She carries a feather weight of just 8st 1lb here so Paddy Mathers steps in for the ride. He was on board for her good debut run and he was 3rd in this for Fahey in 2018 and won it in 2014. Fahey has 3 wins in this since 2010 and has had two 3rds and a 4th in the last three renewals. This filly looks like she has been laid out for the race and she gets over a stone in weight from the favourite Yazaman. I think she’ll bounce back from her poor run at Naas and at odds of 14/1 Bankrolled is the e/w NAP of the day.
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips: Bankrolled e/w @ 14/1 NAP (4 Places)
Doncaster: 3.15pm – Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes (Group 2)
For 3yo+ fillies and mares only, this 14.5f contest sees just 7 go to post. Believe In Love has moved through the handicap ranks with ease and now faces her first start at Group level. She goes on any ground and last time at Newmarket (14f sft) she won by 10L off 97. That was her 4th win on the bounce, the sequence starting off 76 at Kempton back in March by a nose! It has been some rate of improvement and she more than deserves a shot at some black type.
Irish raiders Snow and Pista are both interesting contenders. Of the two I slightly prefer the chances of the less exposed Pista. I think Sunchart is an excellent yardstick and Pista proved too good for him at Leopardstown last time (14f gd). The value in the race could lie with Makawee, if she gets a strong enough pace to aim at. She ran a blinder at York last time and she has placed Group/Listed form that gives her a shout. However, with only 7 going to post I’ll be sitting this one out. No bet.
2020 Doncaster Day 2 Tips: No Bet
Doncaster: 3.45pm – Price Promise 3yo Handicap (Class 2)
The closing live race of the day on ITV3 is a 7f handicap for 3yos only. 13 go to post and the one I like at a big price here is National League, another one for Fahey and Mathers. This is a horse I have tipped up before, last year when he was 5th in the race Mums Tipple won by a distance at York. He won his next start back in handicap company at Hamilton (6f hvy) off 82 and he is just 2lb higher today.
If you looked at this fella’s form figures you wouldn’t give him a second glance. However, you can put a line through his last two turf starts as he was denied a clear run. It looked like he was set to challenge for the win in both contests so it is not surprising that the handicapper has only dropped him 1lb, even if he was beat a combined total of 12L. If he gets a clear run today he could be dangerous and at odds of 22/1 National League is worth chancing each way.
