St Leger Tips: Best Bets & Odds For Doncaster

Saturday’s Racing Tips

It’s day three of four at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival, with the world’s oldest Classic taking centre stage. 11 runners are scheduled to go into the Town Moor stalls and I’ve cast my eye over the contenders as part of my usual Saturday racing tips.

Betfred Champagne Stakes (Group 2) (13.45, Doncaster)

This looks a proper race between half a dozen very talented juveniles over a trip that is probably a stepping stone to further, down the line.

Desert Castle won decisively on debut at Newmarket (7f, good to firm) last month and is beautifully bred. He could be anything but at the moment there are no obvious boosts to that performance, other than what caught the eye from him on the day and at the prices, he looks worth taking on.

Sergei Diaghilev represents top connections and has to be taken seriously, while Gentle Hurricane is clearly well thought of and after winning on debut, he went close in the Group 3 Acomb at York last time.

Rosberg is not ruled out either but the suggestion is BREACHER, who won with plenty in hand on debut at Salisbury (7f, good to firm) in June and improved around a stone when 1L third in the Group 3 Solario Stakes (7f, good to soft) last month.

He proved that he handles these slower conditions in the process that day and, while we only have two places to play with, he looks worth a small each-way play at the current price on betting sites (7/1 at the time of writing).

Saturday tip 1: Breacher – 1pt each-way @ 7/1 (BetVictor)

Betfred Portland (Heritage Handicap) (14.20, Doncaster)

A cracking renewal of this race with many regulars on the sprint handicap scene involved, not least Getreadytorumble, Glorious Goodwood scorer Twilight Calls, last year’s second Apollo One and Air Force One.

However, despite being 4lb higher, I’m with last year’s winner ETERNAL SUNSHINE to repeat the feat. Trainer Jim Goldie has had the tough job that so many of his fellow handlers have, namely keeping his mare in form but at the same time not rising too high in the handicap.

It’s all about placement and she’s been thereabouts on several occasions, after going up just a little too high after last year’s success in this race, which meant a slow start to this campaign.

She’s really come good again of late, however, going close and then winning over Hamilton’s 5f trip, that success coming on good to soft. She’s got a high draw and with eight of the last ten winners having come from middle to high draws, she’s on the right side of the track. She looks a solid each-way option on horse racing betting sites and we’ll hope for that bit of luck that’s needed in these big field sprints.

Saturday tip 2: Eternal Sunshine – 1pt each-way @ 15/2 (Bet365)

Betfred St Leger Stakes (Group 1) (15.35, Doncaster)

The oldest Classic of them all presents a fascinating clash, spearheaded by Epsom Derby winner Christmas Day. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the son of Camelot proved his Classic triumph was no fluke by securing second in the Irish Derby, followed by a solid third in last month’s Great Voltigeur Stakes.

That recent effort looks like the ideal stepping stone for this ultimate test. With strong indications that he will relish the extended trip, he may well bounce back to his best, and should put up a much stronger challenge than his stablemate Lambourn – himself a dual Derby winner – managed last year.

However, even a peak performance from Christmas Day might not be enough to deny the progressive ENCELADUS, who is the one for me. Trained by Joseph O’Brien, this rapidly improving colt has caught the eye by stringing together a flawless three-race unbeaten run at lower levels this season.

He gives every indication that he will get this trip, just watch his performance around the stiffer Royal Ascot circuit, and he’s shown he can handle ground on the slow side of good, albeit his wins at the Royal meeting and in Glorious Goodwood’s Group 3 Gordon Stakes were on fast ground. He’s one of those who has done us a couple of big favours in this column, and I see no reason to desert him now.

Aidan O’Brien holds a second major card in Pierre Bonnard and based on his promising form in both the Irish Derby and Great Voltigeur, he provides the Ballydoyle stable with an excellent opportunity to secure a remarkable fourth consecutive St Leger victory.

While this primary trio dominates calculations, others cannot be ignored. Highwayman brings proven stamina over the one-mile-six-furlong trip, Alderman finished strongly in the Derby, and Hatteen remains a highly promising prospect following encouraging novice and handicap performances over a mile and a half.

St Leger tip: Enceladus – 3pts win @ 5/2 (Unibet)

Pertemps Network Handicap (16.15, Doncaster)

Another big field handicap and, if they all stand their ground, it will give us four places to aim at each-way with INSPIRED, who has been in red hot form at lower levels and is fancied to go very well again now tried in this company.

Those recent successes began at Hamilton (1m½f, good to firm) from a mark of 75. He then finished runner-up at Haydock but still showed improvement in doing so, and that has continued with further wins at Goodwood (1m, soft) and, last weekend, in an apprentice handicap at York (1m, good to soft).

He’s now heading into this from a mark of 85 but he escapes a penalty for that Knavesmire success and if he can go the pace at this higher level, he won’t be stopping at the business end.

Saturday tip 4: Inspired – 1pt each-way @ 17/2 (Bet365)

Don’t forget to check out the site again tomorrow for four more selections on the final day at the St Leger Festival.

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