The winners have kept coming and coming for us in this year’s St. Leger Festival, and let’s hope the page can end on a high today with the big race itself the centrepiece of Doncaster’s season. Here’s Saturday’s Four To Follow plus St. Leger fancy.
Rose Champagne
1:50 – Betfred Champagne Stakes (Group Two) – Rosallion @ 4/9 (William Hill)
Down the years the Champagne Stakes has always been a good looking contest, but today it’s more of an open and shut case. Rosallion annihilated the field in the Pat Eddery at Ascot on his last start, and the form got a major boost with Dancing Gemini winning yesterday. Bred by Blue Point, he has the ability to go on softer ground and Richard Hannon’s record in recent years is also key to this horse’s chances.
King Of Town Moor
2:25 – Betfred Portland (Heritage H’cap) – King’s Lynn @ 10/1 (Betfred)
The Portland is always an interesting race, and this year’s renewal looks more open than ever. I’m siding with King’s Lynn, formerly of Royal ownership, for his record on soft ground. He hated the bottomless ground at Goodwood, but has better record on soft ground. He has won two Doncaster sprints before, including the 2-Y-O sales race and the Wentworth Stakes (soft) in 2021. Despite not winning a heritage handicap, the ground may play a factor to other horses who will prefer it firmer, and King’s Lynn can use the far side rail to his advantage.
Sticking with the soft theme, Live In The Moment could make it a momentous year for De’Lemos’. The owners who won with Live In The Dream have an outside chance with this one who won a class four handicap at Goodwood last time out. He’ll want a better race here, and with the ground to a likeable soft, and with experience in top level handicaps, he can spring a surprise. Each-way shout at 16/1 (William Hill)
One more to consider is Dakota Gold. Although you would rather be seeing him up at York, Dakota Gold and Michael Dods have a liking for any Yorkshire track. Despite Dods not winning the race, he has won a class two handicap with Dakota Gold before at their November meeting. The soft ground is to Dakota Gold’s preference, and is back to a winning mark of 100. And old reliable at 22/1 (Betfred)
A Softie Spy
3:00 – Betfred Park Stakes (Group Two) – Spycatcher @ 6/4 (Betfred)
There’s only two horses that have reliable soft ground form in the race. Spycatcher and Biggles. It would be worth having those two in a reverse forecast, but outright Spycatcher has the form to go on, after been beaten by a head in a French Group One last time out. His season started brilliantly with a win of seven furlongs at Thirsk on soft ground, and was placed in the Victoria Cup in May. It’s those kinds of results that make him the pick of the bunch here.
Another Frankie Fairytale
3:35 – Betfred St. Leger Stakes (Group One) – Arrest @ 9/2 (William Hill)
A lot of people are saying that Frankie Dettori has made the wrong choice in the St. Leger. He should have Gregory who has the ‘Group One form’. Gregory hasn’t run in a Group One, and, for me, he didn’t look like the St. Leger winner in the Queen’s Vase. He ran his worst race in the Great Voltigeur and looking back on the Queen’s Vase, he still looked quite green and inexperienced.
But Arrest, for me, holds all the aces. He was disappointing at Epsom, because he didn’t handle the ground. The one thing we haven’t seen Gregory do is act on soft ground. Four winners in the last ten years ran in the Epsom Derby and went to win here. Arrest is the only horse in the field to have done so. His run at Newbury was a step up in distance and, albeit a warm-up, it shows that he relished the step up in trip and has more than a chance to win the final classic of the season. I say Frankie’s judgement is perfect.
You can have a more in depth look at the St. Leger here
The very best of luck!
