Thursday Doncaster Racing Tips by Dave Stevos
2019 St Leger Meeting Day 1 Tips
We got back into the winning groove last weekend with our 7/1 NAP and 16/1 NB both scoring at Haydock. Ranch Hand got us off to a perfect start in the opener, winning cosily for Oisin Murphy. He is a horse with a future. Great Scot was given a peach from the front by Richard Kingscote and connections will surely persist with those tactics from now on. He’s A Keeper was backed off the boards but never landed a blow. In the Sprint Cup, Major Jumbo could never dominate as he likes to. The St Leger meeting kicks off at Doncaster tomorrow and the girls take centre stage. Check out Dave Stevos Thursday Doncaster racing tips below…
Thursday Doncaster Racing Tips: 2.10 Carrie Red Handicap (Class 2)
The opening race of the Leger meeting at Doncaster is a 6.5f nursery handicap for the girls. Fifteen 2yo fillies will go to post and as the betting suggests, it is wide open. Graceful Magic is the current 4/1 favourite but with most bookies paying 4 places each way, chancing one at a bigger price makes sense. One that appeals at double figure odds is Keep Busy for John Quinn and Jason Hart.
This filly was well beaten in a Listed heat last time on good ground, but she can be forgiven that. She previously won two in a row on good to firm and while her nursery win hasn’t worked out, her Novice win at Carlisle (6f) certainly has. The horse she beat into 2nd hasn’t won since but achieved enough to get a rating of 78 on his next couple of outings. The 3rd home, Endowed, has won two races and is now rated 91, while the 4th won next time out too. That would suggest Keep Busy is still fairly treated off 78 and back on quick ground, at 16/1 she is the each way NAP of the day.
THURSDAY DONCASTER RACING TIPS: KEEP BUSY E/W @ 16/1 4 PLACES NAP
Doncaster Preview Thursday: 2.40 – Park Hill Stakes (Group 2)
The spotlight stays on the fillies in the second race of the day, the 14f Group 2 Park Hill Stakes. Eight will line up in the stalls and the massively progressive Enbihaar is the 11/10 favourite. John Gosden’s 4yo daughter of Redoute’s Choice is on a Group 2 three timer and her win at Goodwood last time was very impressive (14f gd/fm). She beat a very good filly in Manuel De Vega by 5L, conceding a stone to her. She gives 10lb to the 3yos today and on the evidence of Goodwood, she may well be up to the task.
Dame Maillot is clearly a talented 3yo and she has won 3 of her 4 starts. She just got up on heavy ground at Deauville last time, beating Love So Deep by a head. Good to firm ground is an unknown though. Delphinia is also untested on quick ground, but her pedigree suggests there is a good chance she will like it. She stayed on well in the Oaks over 12f and upped to 14f she could be a very interesting contender.
Another one that could go well upped in trip is Star Terms for Hannon and Atzeni. This 3yo daughter of Sea The Stars has run well in pattern company since winning her handicap as a 2yo. She chased home Fleeting here over a mile in the Group 2 May Hill (8f gd) and was a close 3rd in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on her final 2yo start. Bar a poor run in the Guineas she has run consistently well this season and the step up to 14f could really suit. She needs to improve but she easily could and at 16/1 she is the each way selection.
THURSDAY DONCASTER RACING TIPS: STAR TERMS E/W @ 16/1
Thursday Doncaster Racing Tips: 3.15 – Weatherbys 2yo Stakes (Class 2)
Unsurprisingly, this 300k race has attracted a big field of 21 juvenile colts, geldings and fillies. This is a minefield of a race and stakes should be kept to a minimum. The one I like at monstrous odds is National League for Fahey and Hanagan. This son of Guitafan was a decent 5th in a similar race to this at York. Mums Tipple won doing handstands that day, scoring by 11L. National League was 12L behind her, but only 1L behind the runner up Rayong.
Rayong is rated 98 so on that evidence, if you take the form literally, National League is value for more than his rating of 82. He only carries 8st 12 here and a high draw has produced 7 of the last 11 winners so stall 18 should be fine. Fahey won this race in 2015 and 2016 so he clearly targets it and at odds of 50/1 National League is worth chancing each way for small stakes.
THURSDAY DONCASTER RACING TIPS: NATIONAL LEAGUE E/W @ 50/1 5 PLACES
Doncaster Racing Preview: 3.45 – May Hill Stakes (Group 2)
The final live ITV race of the day at Doncaster is the 8f Group 2 May Hill Stakes. Another one for 2yo fillies, this looks a tricky little puzzle to solve. Nine will go to post, all previous winners, and Cloak of Spirits is the favourite after her facile debut win at Ascot (7f gd/fm). The strength of the bare form is questionable but visually she was ultra impressive. However, 2/1 looks short enough and at 10/1, Powerful Breeze has a very similar profile.
She too won easily on her debut, scoring by just under 3L at Newmarket (7f gd/fm). That form has yet to be tested but the way she stayed on up the stiff finish was very taking. She got outpaced in the mid part of the race but the further she went, the better she looked. This step up to a mile could really suit and her pedigree suggests she will relish it too. Odds of 10/1 are too tempting to ignore and Powerful Breeze should go well for each way backers.
