Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips – DS
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips
After the Queen’s passing, the Leger was moved to Sunday. We have a nine race card and hopefully we fare better than we did on Thursday. Hopefully the rain has got into the ground properly and we don’t have that tacky shite that nothing seems to handle. Check out Dave Stevos’ Sunday Doncaster St Leger meeting tips below.
1.00 – Cazoo Handicap (Class 2)
Last time out I Napped Able Kane at Goodwood and he landed place money in 4th. It was a brave effort considering the crazy pace he set and he may just get home over this slightly shorter trip. He won this last season but he is higher in the weights now and without Callum Hutchinson’s claim he is effectively 5lbs higher than at Goodwood. He’ll probably run his usual solid race but odds of 5/1 do not appeal in the slightest.
Juan Le Pins has won four in a row but all on quick ground. Mums Tipple ran a nice race on good to soft last time but consistency is not his strong suit. Fools Rush In seems to be best on turning tracks and Asjad has disappointed the last twice. However, he will enjoy the cut in the ground so I wouldn’t be overly surprised were he to run big.
Upset On The Cards?
As you can see, plenty of these have questions to answer so it could be ripe for an upset. Scott Dixon is never averse to having big priced winners and Zargun is looking well treated. Back in May this son of Rock Of Gibraltar was beat 0.5L by Asjad at York off 93. Five runs since then haven’t been as good but at least he is now down to a mark of 89.
His last win came off 92 back in October (5f gd sft) where he beat Sunday Sovereign comfortably. Easy ground is no concern and either is today’s 6.5f trip as he won over 7f in Germany and France. Dixon is on form (4/12 last fortnight) and in what looks a wide open race, Zargun looks well worth chancing e/w.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: Zargun e/w @ 40/1 (4 places)
1.35 – Flying Childers Stakes (Group 2)
We were on Trillium when she won at Goodwood and she looked a bit special. The bookies are making this a match between her and The Platinum Queen, with Fahey’s filly 13/8 and Hannon’s charge at 15/8. The Platinum Queen does have the best form, a cracking effort in the G1 Nunthorpe at York last time. However, she’s never raced on anything other than good or good to firm. The same applies to Trillium. Looking at their sires, Trillium is more likely to handle the conditions but you couldn’t be piling on at short odds given the unknowns regarding ground.
Crispy Cat does at least have some form on good to soft and yielding ground. O’Callaghan and Amo are probably still complaining about The Ridler at Ascot and since that race, Crispy Cat has disappointed. Maybe the easier conditions will spark a return to form and the booking of Ryan Moore suggests that a big run is expected.
Lady Interesting
Malrescia could be the e/w value in this race. She has won on soft, she has placed in Listed company on good to soft and she hails from an in-form yard. However, at even bigger odds Lady Hamana is interesting. She placed on debut at Newmarket (solid form) before making all in some style on her second start at Wolverhampton. Dusty Foley was due to ride but he is in Ireland today so Sam James gets the nod.
The 5.5L 4th behind her at Wolves was beat a short head in a novice next time and the 5.75L 6th hacked up in a maiden by 3.25L subsequently. She had a previous winner 3L back in 2nd too so it was a decent race for the track. Obviously, this is a big step up in class but this filly has speed and this easy 5f could suit. The ground is an unknown but both her dam’s half siblings won on soft so hopefully he can handle it. At odds of 28/1, Lady Hamana is the e/w selection.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: Lady Hamana e/w @ 28/1
2.10 – Portland Handicap (Class 2)
In the hope that soft ground sparks a revival, I’m taking a chance on Project Dante here. Trained by Bryan Smart, this horse hasn’t won since his debut at York (5f gd/sft). He followed that up with a superb effort at Ascot behind Perfect Power on good to firm. However, since then, his form has fallen off a cliff.
His final two starts as a 2yo saw him trail in 10th at Newmarket and 10th at Ayr. There was no encouragement from his return this year when beat 10L in a Listed race at York (5f gd). However, he finally showed a bit of spark last time out when dropped into handicap company for the first time. Yes, it was another duck egg but he was only beat 5L and it was his best run for over a year.
He did race very awkwardly at times in that last race and he may have not been letting himself down fully on the ground. He did make up a fair bit of ground in the last furlong (past beaten horses admittedly) and the extra half furlong here should suit. Smart’s charge got 4lbs back from the assessor and it’ll be disappointing if he can’t make an impact off 96. Hopefully slow ground makes the difference and Project Dante runs into the money at odds of 40/1.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: Project Dante e/w @ 40/1 (6 Places)
2.45 – Doncaster Cup Stakes (Group 2)
Trueshan should be winning this easily with no Kyprios or Stradivarius to worry about. The juice in the ground will be perfect for this stout stayer and he is rated 11lbs higher than the rest of his rivals. Coltrane wasn’t that far behind him when they met at Goodwood and he looks most likely to chase Trueshan home.
Of the rest, Get Shirty steps up in class and it remains to be seen if he is up to this level. Stratum is a quality horse and he handles soft ground. He could be the one for 3rd but to be honest, I am happy to leave this race alone. There might be a non-runner or two depending on the weather and that will mean just two places for e/w players. No bet.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: No Bet
3.20 – Park Stakes (Group 2)
A field of seven will now line up in this contest after Sacred and Jumby were taken out. That is a frustrating scenario for e/w players. Favourite backers will be all over Kinross, the mount of Frankie Dettori. He won very nicely in a York G2 last time but it was very different ground to what he’ll encounter today. However, he has plenty of previous winning form on easy surfaces so the 5yo son of Kingman probably deserves to be 5/4.
Double or Bubble won for us at Newmarket earlier this season and she is a lovely mare. However, on this ground she could struggle. Misty Grey is in the same boat. New Energy has loads of ability but he needs things to drop exactly right. Al Suhail likes a bit of an ease and he should improve plenty for his comeback. Garrus won’t mind the ground either and on the evidence of his last run over 6.5f, going up to 7f could suit.
The Wizard Of Eye is a big brute of a horse and he ran a massive race at Goodwood last time. That was on good to firm but he has plenty of solid form on easier ground. Last season he ran a cracker in a Longchamp G1 on heavy when 5th behind Angel Bleu. He also ran 5th in a good to soft G3 there when only 1.75L behind El Bodegon. David Egan rides and at 28/1, hopefully he can sneak him into the first two.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: Wizard Of Eye e/w @ 28/1
3.55 – St Leger Stakes (Group 1)
The big one. Nine will go to post and we have already backed French Claim at 16s. You can read why I fancy him here. My main angle was the wet weather forecast and there has been a fair bit of rain. Hopefully it will be soft enough for Paddy Twomey’s charge. The ground is a worry for the 11/10 fav New London. He has won his last two on fast ground but his last soft ground start saw him beaten 6.5L.
The biggest mover this week has been Haskoy. Frankie rides for Ralph Beckett and this daughter of Golden Horn is 2/2. She won her debut at Wolves (12f) then landed a Listed race by a neck at York (12f gd). She stayed on very well in that contest and this trip could bring about more improvement. It’ll need to though. Eldar Eldarov came unstuck on good to soft in France last time but maybe it was the trip rather than the conditions that cost him. If it dries out, he should be bang there.
Best Form
Hoo Ya Mal was 2L behind New London two runs back at Goodwood on good to firm. He got his head in front last time, landing a weak G3 at the same track on good to soft. His Epsom Derby run is arguably the best form on offer and if he repeated that, he’d surely be in the shake-up. His trainer continues in top form and 7/1 looks a shade big, all things considered.
Emily Dickinson is the sole Ballydoyle contender. She is by Dubawi, hardly renowned as a staying sire, but she gets this trip well on fast ground. She has never raced on soft so it remains to be seen if these conditions suit. Giavoletto steps up from handicap company and he’ll need to improve plenty to win this. He has at least got form on soft ground though and he has a good jockey on board.
The two outsiders are El Habeeb, rated 89 and Lizzie Jean, rated 88. Ivan Furtado trains the latter horse and he is no mug. He had a top class filly last year in Just Beautiful and clearly, he must think this daughter of Nathaniel is pretty good. She’s related to long distance G1 winners and I wouldn’t be surprised if she beat a couple of her rivals home. However, I am happy to be on French Claim at 16s and I won’t be backing anything else.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: French Claim already advised ante-post e/w @ 16/1 NAP
4.30 – PJ Towey Handicap (Class 2)
Dashing Roger hasn’t shown much form so far this season but usually, William Stone’s charge takes a couple of runs to get fit. Last season he was beat a combined total of 57L on his first two starts before producing a much improved display at Newmarket then winning at Sandown. The run that makes him of interest here is his fine 7th in a soft ground C&D handicap at the backend of last season.
Dashing Roger was racing off a mark of 104 that day and he was only 4.5L behind the winner Boosala and 1.5L behind Orbaan in 3rd. After his two runs this term, the handicapper has generously dropped him to 96. That’s 3lbs lower than he was for his last win at Ascot (8f gd/sft). Last June he was beat 1.5L by Johan (then rated 100) off 98 and he is now rated 106, so Stone’s inmate is 8lbs better off now. Maybe he might need another run to hit top form but at odds of 40/1, it is worth chancing that he bounces back to form today.
Sunday Doncaster St Leger Meeting Tips: Dashing Roger e/w @ 40/1 (5 Places)
5.05 – Mallard Handicap (Class 2)
I put Dark Jedi up at Haydock last time but he was pulled on account of the firm ground. He has won on soft, good to soft and good so surely he’ll be able to go on this ground. Much of the same reasoning applies as it did at Haydock. When he met Sir Chauvelin at Musselburgh in August a head separated them. Tim Easterby’s charge was conceding 9lbs to him that day. Today, he is only giving him 5lbs.
Dark Jedi is admittedly still 3lbs above his last winning rating but that Sir Chauvelin effort came off 97 and he is only 1lb higher today. Last October he was beat a neck over 12f here off 95 on soft, so we know he acts on the track. He won’t mind if it rains, he won’t mind if it doesn’t and at 11/1, Dark Jedi can hopefully sneak some place money.
