The feature race of
Day 3 of Doncaster‘s St Leger meeting is the Group 2 Doncaster Cup over a trip
just shy of two-and-a-quarter miles.
Revolver is unbeaten
this season having started the campaign off a mark of 57. Sir Mark Prescott’s
gelding has won all six handicaps, but I feel – and hope if I was being honest
– that he will fire a blank this afternoon.
Spanish Mission (3.15)
was a facile scorer at Chester over an extended 1m 6f on his first start for
Andrew Balding and I hope his class can see him home on his first start beyond
two miles. His second to now stablemate Dashing Willoughby in the Henry II
Stakes at Sandown back in July is, arguably, the best form on offer and this
drying ground is a plus.
Sleeping Lion (1.40)
is only 3lbs higher than when winning the Mallard Handicap 12 months ago and
this extended 14f – the same distance as Saturday’s Leger – looks his optimum
trip. His draw out on the wing is a slight negative but he is reunited with
Jamie Spencer for the first time since the pair combined to land the prize in
2019.
I thought it was the
good to soft ground rather than the step up to 6f which led to the defeat of
Sacred (2.40) in the Lowther at York last time and the return to the minimum
trip will suit the William Haggas filly in the 5f Flying Childers. The Norfolk Stakes winner The Lir Jet and Glorious
Goodwood winner Steel Bull look the main dangers in a hot renewal of this Gp 2
sprint.
Molinari bounced back
from a poor effort to finish second at Chelmsford last time and he has the plum
draw in stall one in Chester’s 10f handicap especially for one who likes to
make the running. Drawn alongside him in stall two is Chichester (3.30) and the
hope is that the Stoute runner can put behind a disappointing run at Windsor
when forced to make his own running. The colt has been off the track for over
10 weeks after his last start which suggests connections identified a problem
although he did look ill at ease on the fast ground on that occasion.
Andrew Balding has a
good record at Chester and his Montanari made his debut in the Chesham Stakes
at Royal Ascot behind Pinatubo last June. The colt has only had one subsequent
start when second to a 100-rated horse – albeit in a three-runner race.
Baryshnikov (4.35) remains
a maiden after 14 starts but he has been in good form of late and can finally get
his head in front at the main expense of the Balding three-year-old who is
entitled to come on for when will be his first start in over 12 months. Tom
Marquand has been one of the jockeys of the season, but it was not his finest
hour when the selection was beaten a head by a lightly raced horse of Ralph
Beckett.
At Sandown Dubai
Welcome (4.05) is fitted with first-time cheek-pieces on his handicap debut and
the drop back to 10f looks sure to suit Saeed bin Suroor’s three-year-old who was
caught close home at Kempton last month over an additional quarter of a mile.
The winner disappointed stepped up in grade last time, but an opening mark of
85 looks fair for the grey son of Dubawi.
