talkSPORT betting tips – Best bets and expert advice for Doncaster's St Leger Festival – Day two
12/09/2024 13:44
It's day two of Doncaster’s St Leger Festival on Friday and the Doncaster Cup sits amongst the main attractions as Alan King’s Trueshan goes in defence of that crown.
The Doncaster Cup (3.35) joins the Flying Scotsman Stakes and the Flying Childers Stakes on another quality offering from Town Moor, where they race from 1.50-5.55 on Friday.
Our expert, Enda McElhinney, has a trio of selections on the ITV races at Doncaster, including in two of those feature races.
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Racing tips
2.25 Doncaster – Jonquil
Legendary Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute this week confirmed the news he will retire at the end of the season, closing the door on a stellar four-decade career as one of the powerhouses amongst the British training ranks.
Stoute’s career has often intertwined with the powerful Juddmonte operation and he may be set to leave them a parting gift in the form of Jonquil, the once-raced son of Lope De Vega who is set to take his chance in the Flying Scotsman Stakes under Ryan Moore.
They were together a fortnight ago at Sandown (7f, good) in maiden company, with the juvenile sent off joint-favourite for that opening gambit.
Stuck on the running rail with less than two furlongs to go, Jonquil found his pathway blocked at a crucial stage and his momentum was checked to a point where it looked set to cost him his chance.
In the circumstances he did remarkably well to edge out and get after Centigrade, collaring that rival in the final stride to win.
He looks potentially smart on that evidence and it is no surprise he quickly makes the move into Listed company for the soon-to-be-retired 16-time British Classic-winning handler.
3.35 Doncaster – Sweet William
The John & Thady Gosden team are hard to ignore at Doncaster, where they boast a 26 per cent strike-rate with runners from their Clarehaven base in the last five years.
They have two key runners in the Doncaster Cup, with Sweet William fancied to go one better than last year in the hands of Rab Havlin.
On that occasion he appeared briefly intimidated when Trueshan challenged on his outside, momentarily lugging into the running rail as he settled for second-best.
He has twice this season put clear sailing distance between himself and that Alan King-trained rival and, therefore, looks well placed now to exact some Doncaster revenge.
Stablemate Gregory is a danger, especially as he was only a flared nostril behind Sweet William in the Goodwood Cup as they chased home Kyprios, but this extra quarter of a mile is far from certain to suit James Doyle’s partner.
4.10 Doncaster – Bint Al Daar
Trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy opts for a step up in trip with the consistent four-year-old Bint Al Daar in this British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap and it could pay off.
The Muhaarar filly has enjoyed a fine summer, winning at Newmarket in June and Wolverhampton in August.
That Racing League win last month is flanked by a pair of runner-up finishes on the grass at York, latterly in a valuable Class 2 contest last month when she perhaps wasn’t seen to best effect.
She is 2lb higher now and this contest may not be as tough on paper, while Bint Al Daar could well eke out some further improvement on this first crack at a mile-and-a-half.
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