2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips and Preview by Dave Stevos
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips and Preview for ITV3 Live Races
It was a struggle for us for the most part at Doncaster on Thursday. Ocean Eyes looked like she might play a big part 2f out but she didn’t follow through with her effort after travelling strongly. Great Vibes didn’t get home and looked out of her depth. Bankrolled drifted like a barge and ran accordingly, perhaps rattling quick ground could be needed. At least National League landed our e/w bets at 25/1. He again found traffic but this time he got through to finish strong for 3rd. His turn is near. The top class action continues on Friday with another five races live on ITV3. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2020 Doncaster Day 3 tips and preview below…
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips: 1.40pm – Mallard Handicap (Class 2)
The Mallard Handicap, a 8 runner 14.5f contest, kicks off the live action on ITV3 on Friday. There doesn’t look to be much early pace in this field. That could play into the hands of Silvestre De Sousa and Hochfeld. This 6yo son of Cape Cross last won at the start of August and he was held up in midfield in that 14f heat. However, before his layoff he made all for two of his victories. There is every chance he could get an easy time in front here.
He has failed to figure on his last two starts since his win but the ground was soft. Good to soft ground is fine for him and the more it dries out the better. He is 4lb above his highest winning marks of 92 but one of those wins was by 6L from the front. Additionally, 1m 6f is his optimum trip. If he reproduces the level of that 6L win, of even the form of his last win at Goodwood, Hochfeld holds solid each way claims at odds of 14/1.
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips: Hochfeld e/w @ 14/1
Doncaster: 2.10pm – bet365 Handicap (Class 2)
The one I like in this 6.5f handicap is Edgewood for Tom Eaves and Julie Camacho. This 4yo son of Garswood has won 2 of his last 3. He finally looks like he is delivering on the potential he showed as a youngster. Paul Mulrennan rode on his last three starts and Edgewood won two of them, both at Hamilton. It is a bit strange that Tom Eaves takes over today because Mulrennan has rides at Doncaster. However, it could be the case that 8st 9lbs was too light a weight for Mulrennan.
As a 2yo Edgewood won his maiden here over 6f on soft ground. His last win at Hamilton came on good to soft. The runner up Conga ran a cracker on her next start to finish 2nd. The 3rd and 7th also won next time out. Edgewood scored with a bit in hand and I loved how he travelled through the race.
He is entered in the Ayr Gold Cup in a week’s time and a win here would move him up the pecking order. A run in the big one would be unlikely but the 5lb penalty he would incur with a win today might be the difference between a run in the Silver Cup vs The Bronze. He is a course winner, there should be sufficient juice in the ground and at odds of 14/1 Edgewood is the e/w NAP of the day.
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips: Edgewood e/w @ 14/1 NAP
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips: 2.40pm – Flying Childers Stakes (Group 2)
A field of 11 juveniles will line up in the stalls for this Group 2 over the flying 5f. Sacred will look to go one better than her last two outings in Group 2 company. She found only the talented Miss Amulet too good at York and the bookies make her the 13/8 favourite. Steel Bull is next best in the betting but his last run was poor. The son of Clodovil reportedly broke two teeth in the stalls though so he had a more than valid excuse. Dropping back to the minimum trip should suit him too and he could run a big race.
The one that looks overpriced on her return to better ground is Measure Of Magic. After a good debut effort on good to firm at Naas this filly scored next time at Tipperary (5f yld), beating Mooniesta and Aloha Star, both of whom have since boosted the form. The time of the race suggests the ground was closer to good that day. Her next outing saw her beat Miss Amulet at Down Royal (5f gd).
Miss Amulet reversed that form in a Listed heat at Naas next time (5f yd) and at the same track 6f on soft ground proved too far in the valuable sales race won by Chief Little Hawk. Dropping back in trip and returning to good ground are two huge pluses and given their form-lines, I don’t think she should be nearly three times the price of Frenetic. At odds of 18/1 Measure Of Magic is worth chancing e/w.
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips: Measure Of Magic e/w @ 18/1
Doncaster: 3.15pm – Doncaster Cup Stakes (Group 2)
Just 7 line up in this 18f Group 2 and with no Stradivarius it will be an opportunity for another stayer to get a day in the limelight. I am a huge fan of Red Verdon and he has the assistance of Frankie from the saddle. You can put a line through his last run on account of heavy ground and he is better judged on his previous wins at Longchamp and here over 14f. He has a couple of pieces of form at 16f that suggest he will stay today’s trip and it would be no surprise were he to win this.
Revolver steps into stakes company for the first time after a string of low grade handicap wins. He won a 4 runner affair at Pontefract last time off 91 by 3L. The 3rd boosted the form by winning a couple of marks in the 70s since but odds of 11/4 are surely based on the sequence of 1s beside his name, rather than the strength of his form. He does get a weight for age allowance but only three 3yos have won this since 2000.
Island Overpriced
Eagles By Day is clearly a classy sort and I have tipped him twice this season. However, he didn’t finish well over 16f on either occasion and he has questions to answer upped in trip. If Revolver is 5/2 for this then Island Brave, who won a much better race off a higher mark two runs back, looks overpriced at 33/1.
We were on at the same price the day he won and he looks like he could stay this trip. Soft ground was no good for him last time at York so he is excused that run. Plenty of these have questions to answer and Martin Dwyer will be playing his cards latest of all. It looks an open race and at the prices, even with just 2 places on offer, I’ll be having a very small e/w bet on Island Brave.
2020 Doncaster Day 3 Tips: Island Brave e/w @ 33/1
Doncaster: 3.45pm – Flying Scotsman Stakes (Listed)
The finale on ITV3 on Friday is the 7f Flying Scotsman Stakes, a Listed contest for 2yos. The one that looks a massive price in this is Fountain Cross. He was a big eyecatcher behind Method when 4th in the Rose Bowl at Newbury. He may have been beat 6L but he was hampered early and Pat Dobbs didn’t have his finest hour in the later stages of the race. His next start on ground plenty soft for him resulted in a cracking Group 2 effort at Goodwood (7f sft). He shaped like he got the trip well, he was just left with too much to do.
You can forget about his last run over 6f in a Novice at Ripon. He was wide all the way and up with the pace and it is easy to put a line through it. Stepping back up to 7f will suit and he should get a decent pace to aim at today. Pat Dobbs is back on board and he will hopefully have learned from his previous mistakes. The son of Muharrar looks an absolutely crazy price on the form of those runs at Newbury and Goodwood and at odds of 50/1 he looks well worth backing e/w.
