The horse racing broadcaster offers up his five best bets for Day 1 of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.
Fillies and two-year-olds hold centre stage on Day 1 of the St.Leger meeting at Doncaster, each making up three of the five races on ITV on Wednesday. After all the swings in the weather over recent days, the forecast and ground both look perfect for what looks likely to be an excellent four days of racing on Town Moor.
The traditional curtain raiser is the Carrie Red Fillies Nursery run over the split trip of 6 1/2f and here the market looks to have got it right in having SPEED OF SOUND 9/4 (13:15 Doncaster) and Art of Life at it’s head. Both yards have had a good season with their two-year-olds, Richard Spencer 10/46 A/E 1.30 and Clive Cox 15/68 A/E 1.43. Preference is just for Speed of Sound who has shown a consistent level of form and has avoided a rise for finishing third in a big field Sales race at York behind runaway winner Sun Goddess. Her form lines look solid and she has a nice racing weight, aided by the entry of stable mate Sexy Chick. Art of Life also makes her nursery debut which is a profitable angle for the Cox yard, as shown by Arctic Tsar’s Leicester victory on Tuesday, but with the notable exception of her debut, her form lines don’t look quite as strong as Speed Of Sound’s.
Both stables are also represented in the £300k Sales race that follows but whilst Zigazig Ah and Satellite of Love have place chances, it is difficult to look beyond NIGHT IN VEGAS 5/4 (13:50 Doncaster) who beat Zigazig Ah in a similar race at Newmarket and is better off at the weights. Connections are looking for another big payday in this race having won it last year with Calendar Girl, and Night In Vegas looks the class act of the field. Whilst Eve Johnson Houghton was slower into stride with her juveniles this season they have still had a reasonable campaign (17/117 A/E 1.10). Bought for 60k as a yearling, victory here would see Night In Vegas take his total prize money earnings to well over £400k.
Next up is a three-year-old 10f handicap where the return to this grade will suit KING OF EARTH 4/1 (14:25 Doncaster) after his foray into Group company last time in the Strensall Stakes at York. It was not just the rise in class that found him out but also sitting too close to the strong pace, and as a result he was well beaten but thankfully as a result did not compromise his handicap mark. A big imposing horse, he wouldn’t be the first one to bounce back after a poor run at York and he is nicely drawn in stall 3 to get a soft trail into the race.
The final two races on ITV are both Group 2 races for fillies where the emphasis is on stamina. First up is the 1m 6 1/2f Park Hill – the Fillies Leger though it is not just open to three-year-olds. CONSENT 11/2 (15:00 Doncaster) was second in the race last year before going on to win a Group 1 in France. She does not carry a penalty for that win here and Sir Mark Prescott will no doubt have had a repeat bid here before heading again to France on his mind for a while. Consent had Danielle behind in the race last year and a bigger danger could be Galtres winner Prizeland, who was very impressive that day at York looking as if the step up in trip here would also suit.
The Group 2 May Hill for two-year-olds over 1m will see Musical Times put her unbeaten record on the line. She has been very impressive in her two starts to date and features in the ante post markets for the Classics this season. After their quiet spell earlier on in the campaign the Charlie Appleby yard have not been as forward with their juveniles as in previous seasons and Musical Times could certainly announce herself as a leading two-year-old here. She is however priced on potential rather than achievement and steps up in both trip and grade so preference at the prices is for Joseph O’Brien’s BALLYSKEAGH 5/1 (15:35 Doncaster) who can reverse Curragh form with Sea Of Rain. She had finished ahead of Jim Bolger’s filly the time before at Leopardstown when winning her maiden and is the less exposed of the pair. Sea of Rain got first run last time but Ballyskeagh showed herself to be of Pattern race quality as well as proving her stamina. As she already has those two boxes ticked and is a significantly bigger price than Musical Times she gets the vote.
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