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Tag: Doncaster Cup

  • St Leger Festival 2024 | Four To Follow – Day Two

    St Leger Festival 2024 | Four To Follow – Day Two

    It’s the final classic of the year, the St Leger Festival at Doncaster. This Festival allows us to not only crown the winner of the oldest classic, but also to watch out for the future with plenty two-year-old action too. Today on day two, more two-year-old in Flying Scotsman and Flying Childers Stakes. And the stayers are out in force for the Group Two Doncaster Cup.

     

    Successive Winner

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    1:50 – Betfred Mallard Handicap – Subsequent @ 9/4 (Betfred)

    When you’ve had three wins in your debut season, people will notice. Subsequent is looking for win number four and is impressing with every run. His latest victory at Newmarket showed he’s progressing incredibly well, and handling the steps up in trip equally well. It’s only a four pound rise, which looks fair and gives him a fighting chance.

    However, only two three-year-olds have won this race in the previous 10 runnings which means that older horses do have a slight advantage. Shadow Dance looks a particular threat after his impressive victory at York, when he switched inside and outside before turning on the burners to just overpower Lieber Power by a neck. With that much switching, and the power inside the half furlong to win, the step up in trip should be interesting. 7/2 (William Hill).

     

    Two Good To Be True?

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    2:25 – Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes (Listed) – Jonquil @ 11/10 (BetVictor, Boylesports)

    Jonquil was incredibly impressive on debut, and showed more maturity than you would see in most two-year-old debutants. His ability to keep the power going when switched to the outside really caught the eye. However, more experienced horses do win this race more often than not.

    However the last time a one raced horse won the Flying Scotsman was Sangarius. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, ridden by Ryan Moore and owned and bred by Juddmonte. Lightning can strike twice.

    Mr Chaplin is a likeable horse and certainly has the credentials to win this race. He looks to have more of a preference to good ground, rather than good-to-firm ground after being well found out in the Acomb last time out. But with preferred ground and a win over the distance, he can certainly hit the frame. 12/1 (General).

     

    If Carlsberg did Two-Year-Old races…

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    3:00 – Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes (Group 2) – Big Mojo @ 3/1 (BetVictor, Boylesports)

    An extremely electric race, with pace galore, it’s all about going on form. Big Mojo was disappointing at York last time out. However, with both Symbol of Strength and Camille Pissaro franking the form, Big Mojo should go a bit better. Trainer Michael Appleby says the ground is fine for him, and he’s top rated out of the field. There’s a lot of reasons to side with him in this fierce competition.

    Tropical Storm has good each-way claims. He beat current favourite, Magnum Force, by a neck last time out at York (even if Magnum Force was denied a clear run). The form from the Roses Stakes hasn’t been tested a lot, but he came from the best two-year-old of Royal Ascot which has paid dividends since. Forget his Goodwood run and he should be up there again. 9/1 (BetVictor).

    Another Michael Appleby horse that is forgotten about is Mr Lightside. Since winning impressively at Nottingham, he’s finished within a length and half of the winner in his two subsequent runs. His impressive third at Goodwood is the form to latch onto and if he can match his Nottingham win, plus the impressive run at Goodwood, he should outrun odds of 20/1 (BetVictor).

     

    Pair Of Kings

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    3:35 – Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes (Group 2) – Sweet William @ 15/8 (General)

    The Gosden pair of Sweet William and Gregory look to be the one-two here, but is it that simple. I have major doubts about Gregory’s ability, with the best result this season third, three lengths behind Vauban last time out. Plus with the Doncaster Cup two miles and two furlongs, he may struggle as he did last year.

    Therefore, Sweet William has to be the pick. He was the nearest challenger to Kyprios at Goodwood last time out and did finish second in this race last year. Without the might of Kyprios and Vauban in this race, Sweet William has the potential to properly join the conversation in the stayers’ league.

    The very best of luck!

  • St. Leger Festival | Four To Follow: No Rane On His Parade

    St. Leger Festival | Four To Follow: No Rane On His Parade

    What a start to the St Leger Festival for the column. Two winners plus a running on second puts us firmly in the driving seat for Day Two. Today, the feature is the Doncaster Cup where we could see another dual winner in the history of the race, which dates back further than the St Leger. There’s also a couple more 2-Y-O races to cover on the card in Four To Follow.

     

    Dance Battle

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    1:50 – Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes (Listed) – War Rooms @ 11/4 (Betfred)

    Racing at Town Moor yesterday was slow. The 2-Y-O selling race was the second slowest in its history, which shows you the extent of how much the rain has got in. There’s a bit more rain forecast overnight but it shouldn’t’ be softer than yesterday. This will incline punters to stick with soft ground horses, and the favourite is just that. He scorched clear of C&D in June, and was pulled out at Haydock last Saturday due to the ground, and he’s got his ground here today. Trainer Owen Burrows has entries for him in the Dewhurst and the Futurity at the end of the season and is clearly one to keep an eye at three.

    Another that can perform on the soft ground is Dancing Gemini. A winner at Newbury on good-to-soft, he steps up in grade but not by much and is the perfect progression step for Roger Teal’s two-year-old. The form has been franked with two winners out of the Newbury maiden next time out, and those that raced next time out came in the top three. Dancing Gemini has a very good chance of outrunning her 17/2 (William Hill) odds.

     

    Bermuda To Brighten

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    2:25 – Flying Childers Stakes (Group Two) – Flora Of Bermuda @ 7/1 (William Hill)

    Looking at some of the trainers comments, some are quizzical about the ground particularly Big Evs. This news opens the door to other runners down the order and Flora OF Bermuda can put on another good showing today. She won by four lengths in the mud at Goodwood, and won’t mind the ground one jot at Doncaster on Friday. Her ground preference was evident when finishing last at York in the Lowther, but she’s back in calmer waters and can sail past those struggling with the ground.

    At a price, and a good name, Graceful Thunder has won three races this season all with soft in the title. The best of those was a class two maiden at Beverley and has gone since to win a Listed contest and was narrowly beaten in a Group Three, both in France. George Boughey enjoyed a 2-Y-O winner yesterday with Chic Columbine and has an outside chance with Graceful Thunder at 14/1 (Betfred)

     

     

    Ding Donny Battle

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    3:00 – Betfred Doncaster Cup Stakes (Group Two) – Coltrane @ 6/4 (Betfred)

    Coltrane has started to kick into gear this season and his Lonsdale Cup victory was mightily impressive. He was ever so tough to hold off Trueshan last year, in similar conditions. However, we just don’t know which version of him we’re going to see as it’s his first run after a wind op.

    Both will enjoy the ground, there’s no doubt, but Coltrane has to carry a penalty for this race which gives Trueshan a chance. But I have to come down on the side of the horse that has performed admirably, and that is Coltrane.

     

    Legendary Bet

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    3:35 – Betfred Mallard Handicap – Legendary Day @ 15/2 (Betfred)

    In terms of a handicap, it’s a poor turnout. Eight runners at this level is disappointing, but it’s what we have to deal with. But despite the lack of challengers, it’s an intriguing race. The Goat is the one to beat with his 12 length romp in the Goodwood mud still fresh in the bookies minds. He didn’t run a bad race in the Melrose, finishing in midfield on ground he’s not keen on has to go noticed.

    But I feel Legendary Day will give him a big challenge. He’s ground versatile and can stay over further, which will be crucial here. His performance at the Ebor Festival was fantastic, finishing third. Mark Winn is a jockey I have a lot of time for and take three pounds off to give him an attractive mark of 83, the same mark he won over two miles with.

    The very best of luck!

  • St. Leger Festival | Coltrane on Brink of Doncaster Cup Legend

    St. Leger Festival | Coltrane on Brink of Doncaster Cup Legend

    The final classic of 2023, the Betfred St. Leger Stakes take centre stage in Doncaster this week.

    However, a little less than 24 hours before, Friday’s Doncaster Cup is given equal billing.

    A Group 2 contest over 2m2f, the British Champions Series contest pits the finest stayers over the flat head-to-head and for Coltrane, his 22nd outing could be a landmark one.

    Can the defending champion join the likes of Stradivarius, Millenary and Double Trigger, becoming the stuff of race legend?

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    Group 1 drought

    It’s been another strong season for Coltrane, albeit having been lightly raced this summer.

    Compared to the gelding’s seven trips in 2022, trainer Andrew Balding has given the 6yo son of Mastercraftsman just three runs since June.

    All three have been at festival meets, but only one has brought success; last month’s Lonsdale Cup during Ebor week.

    Despite coming here with a 1-3-2 formbook, the remaining elephant in the room is his absence of a Group 1 win.

    Fourth to Kyprios in last year’s Goodwood Cup, Quickthorn’s sensational run on return to West Sussex then saw a third place.

    Before that of course, as Ascot Gold Cup favourite, Courage Mon Ami and Frankie Dettori nipped home.

    Elite success will have to wait until 2024, but defending the crown would be the perfect springboard.

     

    A familiar foe

    It was 12 months ago at a big price that 9/1 Coltrane stunned the bookies by beating the 2/9f.

    Friday’s race will see Trueshan looking for revenge.

    Holding out by a neck last time out, the two will lock horns to renew their rivalry and Hollie Doyle will be hoping for rain to arrive. It should.

    As it stands, the head-to-head teller reads: Coltrane 2-1 Trueshan.

    The former won their most recent clash at Ascot back in May’s Gold Cup trial, where Doyle was forced to settle for fourth.

    This will be Trueshan’s first outing since wind surgery.

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    Broome will also be another familiar face in the stalls as for the fourth time this term, Aidan O’Brien’s relative veteran looks to land a blow on Coltrane.

    The other big Doncaster Cup player this year, is Sweet William.

    Previously unbeaten this year before the Ebor, the Gosdens tasted defeat to Willie Mullins and Frankie Dettori via Absurde means.

    A horse for all conditions after an impressive win in the mud in the Coral Summer Handicap at Goodwood, the 4yo adds half-a-furlong to the trip here.

    Could that prove pivotal, with a win over just longer than 2m?

    The in-form Oisin Murphy may have other ideas.

     

    The Betfred Doncaster Cup Stakes takes place over 2m2f on Friday at 15:00 BST