Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday Tips Dave Stevos
Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday Tips
There is some seriously good racing on the menu this week on both sides of the Irish. The live ITV action starts on Thursday at Doncaster for the Leger Festival. Dave Stevos has already previewed the St Leger, find his 50/1 ante-post selection by clicking here. We’ll have previews for all the big meetings this weekend, check out our Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday tips and preview below.
1.40 Doncaster – Nursery Handicap (Class 2)
First up on ITV3 on Thursday is this 6.5f Nursery Handicap. When I looked at this race on Tuesday Gnat Alley was 25/1. Tim Easterby’s filly was a huge eyecatcher last time but unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one to notice. The daughter of Caravaggio is now as short as 9/2 in some places after attracting heavy support on Tuesday afternoon. David Allan was extremely easy on her at Ripon on her last run. Even off a 3lb higher mark, she looks a big danger off a feather weight now upped in trip on her second handicap start.
Varian Targets This Race
However, now that her price has collapsed, I am instead going to take a chance on Prism. Roger Varian has sent out handicap debutants to finish 2nd in this race the last twice. It seems to be a race he targets and this daughter of Fast Company could be well treated off her opening rating of 73. She has run well on two of her three starts, including on debut when she chased home subsequent Listed winner Flotus at Goodwood (6f sft). She didn’t get a clear run until late in the day in that contest. If she did, she would have finished closer than the 4.5L she was behind the winner.
Varian’s charge lost the race in the prelims the next day so you can put a line through that run. Last time out at Salisbury (6f gd) David Egan wasn’t too hard on her at all. She was beat 2.5L for the win in 3rd but it looked like she may have still had a bit left in the tank. The winner of that race is rated 81 and she was carrying just 1lb more than Prism. A mark of 73 looks a shade generous on the evidence of her overall form and at odds of 14/1, she is the each way selection.
Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday: Prism e/w @ 14/1 NAP (4 Places)
2.10 Doncaster – Weatherbys 2yo Stakes (Class 2)
These sales races have not been good to us this season. They have mostly been dominated by the market leaders but hopefully we can nick some place money with a long shot in this one. As far as the draw is concerned, low numbers have prevailed for the last four seasons (3,1,3,3).However, in the previous four years high numbers did best (16,20,20,15). Since 2013 four trainers have won it twice, Kevin Ryan, Richard Fahey and Roger Varian. Fahey has nothing entered this time but Ryan and Varian both fire a bullet each and it is the latter’s horse that looks more likely on paper.
Jazz Club is owned by Coolmore and he hacked up last time out at Windsor. Moore is on board but the bookies haven’t missed him at around 13/2. Ryan’s horse, Spitting Feathers, is also interesting. He ran an okay race on debut before winning nicely on his second start at Carlisle. He stepped up into G2 company last time out and he wasn’t up to the task.
That suggests that connections think quite a bit of this horse though and he wouldn’t be the first one owned by Steve Ryan to bounce back after a dreadful run (see Justanotherbottle and the St Wilfrid). As mentioned earlier, Ryan has won this race twice before and the form figures of his last three runners in it read 321. It is clearly a race he targets and with a nice draw in stall 5 and Kevin Stott doing the steering, Spitting Feathers is worth chancing each way at odds of 20/1.
Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday: Spitting Feathers e/w @ 20/1 (5 Places)
2.40 Doncaster – May Hill Stakes (Group 2)
This race revolves around the unbeaten daughter of Frankel, Inspiral. John and Thady Gosden’s filly is 2/2 so far and she looked very talented when winning a Listed heat at Sandown (7f gd/fm) decisively last time out. That form has worked out too. The runner up, Wild Beauty, went on to fill the same position in a G3 next time out, The 3rd, Sunstrike, finished 4th in that same G3. The step up to a mile could bring about even more improvement given her sire and with Frankie on board, she is the deserved 2/5 favourite.
We backed Prosperous Voyage at Goodwood last time and she didn’t get a clear run. Rob Hornby had to stop riding momentarily a furlong out but she stayed on very well once the daylight came. The daughter of Zoffany will definitely appreciate stepping up in trip to 8f and she ran well over 6.5f at this track on debut.
Speak is another interesting one for Balding and Probert. By Sea The Moon, this filly won nicely on debut at Kempton (8f) and the runner up hacked up in a maiden next time out. Balding’s juveniles often improve 10-15lbs from their debut runs and if this filly does that, she won’t be far away.
Dice At A Price
Kawida does make some appeal at bigger odds but her best form has come on soft. Rolling The Dice, on the other hand, is proven on good to firm and she is an interesting contender for Hilal Kobeissi and Daniel Muscutt. By Mehmas, this filly showed promise on her debut at Redcar at 50/1. She was clearly expected to improve on that at Epsom next time (5/1) but unfortunately, her saddle slipped. On her third outing at Newbury (7f gd/fm) she showed what she was capable of. She travelled strongly and quickened clear to win by 2L from Manaafith (won next time out).
This filly is by a speedy sire but her half sister won over 12f on the flat and 16f over hurdles. Her dam is a half-sister to a 10f G1 winner and a 10f Listed winner so this step up to a mile shouldn’t pose any problems. Ivan Furtado struck a blow for smaller trainers here yesterday with Just Beautiful and I think Rolling The Dice could go well for her rookie trainer today. I loved how she travelled through the race last time and at the prices, she is worth a small nibble e/w.
Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday: Rolling The Dice e/w @ 25/1
2.55 Epsom – Jump Jockey’s Derby Handicap (Class 4)
The one I’m taking a punt on in the Jump Jockey’s Derby is Ascot Day. Trained by Welsh handler Bernard Llewellyn, this 7yo is the only former C&D winner in the field. He is a four time winner at 12f on ground ranging from good to firm to heavy. He won here back in July off a mark of 62 but he has won off 68 so he is not badly handicapped today off 66. That win came as a bit of a surprise and he was sent off at 50/1. However, he backed that up with two solid runs off his revised rating since and the rattling quick ground at Bath was against him last time out.
There are showers forecast overnight at Epsom so the ground should be more to his liking here. This horse has made the pace on previous occasions but he was dropped out when winning over C&D. I am hoping those tactics are re-employed here. His trainer has had two winners and six top 4 finishes at Epsom from just 11 runners, a frame hitting strike rate of 72%. Once the ground isn’t too quick, Ascot Day is capable of running into the money at 11/1.
Epsom Thursday: Ascot Day e/w @ 11/1 (4 Places)
3.15 Doncaster – Park Hill Stakes (Group 2)
The one that looks a shade overpriced to me in this Group 2 is Urban Artist. This 6yo mare is ultra consistent and she ran a cracker in a valuable handicap off 99 at Goodwood last time. She was just touched off by Prince Alex, a horse she was conceding 10lbs to. She has already got solid stakes form in the book, finishing 2nd and 3rd in Listed company and also chasing home Tribal Craft in a G3 at York (14f sft). The daugher of Cityscape is now 5lbs better off for a 2.75L defeat. On this quicker ground, I think she can reverse the form.
Hughie Morrison’s charge finished the same distance behind Golden Pass at Pontefract (12f gd/fm) but she is also 5lbs better off with that rival and she should also be able to reverse that form over this longer distance. There are a number of other dangers, including the likes of Irish raider Silence Please and the trio of 3yos, Free Wind, Yesyes and Save A Forest. However, Oisin Murphy will be keen to get even more black type onto the page of his Grandmother’s horse and at odds of 12/1, she represents a bit of value e/w.
Doncaster Leger Festival Thursday: Urban Artist e/w @ 12/1
3.45 Doncaster – Cazoo Handicap (Class 2)
A 7f handicap closes the show on ITV3 on Friday and frustratingly, only seven run. At the prices, it might be worth taking a chance on Ataser for Terry Kent and Josephine Gordon. This son of Sayif had an excellent juvenile campaign. After winning his maiden at Ripon he went on to finish 2nd behind Line Of Departure off 78. The winner was in off 79 and he went on to win the big sales race on this card and he is now rated 109. Next time at York (7f gd) Ataser made light of a 1lb rise to 79, scoring in decisive fashion by 1.25L. The 3rd home that day was Star Of Orion who was in off 92 (now rated 102).
On his final run of the season over today’s C&D Kent’s charge did the business again. He prevailed by a head off 86 and the runner up has gone on to be beat just 3L in a Group 3 in the USA. On his seasonal reappearance at Ascot (8f gd/fm) Ataser ran no sort of race. The trip may have stretched him and he trailed in well behind after his jockey eased him inside the final furlong. He’s been off since so perhaps there there was another issue. Dropping back to 7f is a big plus today, as is the return to Doncaster. Given the strength of his 2yo form, it is too soon to write off this horse. With 3 places available with a number of firms, he is the each way pick at 20/1.
