Day Two of the Betfred St Leger Festival will continue on soft ground after intermittent showers yesterday afternoon.
Underfoot conditions has seen Frankie Dettori switch his Betfred St Leger mount on Saturday to proven mud lover Arrest from Gregory.
The feature race on Friday afternoon is the G2 Betfred Doncaster Cup for the stayers with last years’ 1-2 Coltrane and Trueshan locking horns again.
The ITV4 action gets underway with the Listed Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes with ten winning juveniles heading to post over seven furlongs.
Aidan O’Brien’s Convivial Maiden winner from York, Battle Cry, will be supported, as will recent wide margin soft ground course winner War Rooms. It looks a renewal that is right up to scratch but is filed under the too difficult banner.
The Flying Childers Stakes at 2.25 can go the way of FLORA OF BERMUDA for Andrew Badling. After a half length fourth to Graceful Thunder on debut, she was an unlucky loser at Beverley afterwards but showed her class on fourth start on soft ground when flying home at Glorious Goodwood. She beat Juniper Berries there by four lengths who subsequently went on to win a Salisbury group 3 contest.
FLORA OF BERMUDA can be forgiven her run in the Gimcrack at York on quick ground and her time was just 1/10th second slower than Big Evs at Goodwood carrying 1lb less, here she gets 3lb off that rival.
Big Evs blew out in the Nunthorpe but may is best forgiven that tough task at this early stage, but he needs to bounce back here. Kylian wasn’t in love with the ground at Goodwood and was hampered at a crucial stage at York. He’ll appreciate dropping back in trip here, but again gets a soft surface.
COLTRANE had a neck to spare over Trueshan twelve months ago in the Betfred Doncaster Cup but got his revenge in the Long Distance Cup on Champions’ Day at Ascot.
These old adversaries clashed again in the Sagaro Stakes in May when COLTRANE was far too good and that followed a shock reverse at Nottingham for Trueshan. He has been off since, has had a wind operation and will get his favoured soft ground, but he needs to prove he is as good this season as previous ones. COLTRANEmeanwhile has been mixing in the top company. Just touched off in the Ascot Gold Cup, he was also placed in the Goodwood Cup when Oisin Murphy was among the jockeys to give Tom Marquand too much rope on Quickthorn. He turned both that form and Royal Ascot form around at York. The now 6yo is ultra consistent and seems to be at his best in the autumn. He should take plenty of beating.
Sweet William is the unknown quantity. An excellent second in the Ebor on just his fifth start was some effort and he too will enjoy the ground, but he has a stone to find on the leading contenders on his first start in pattern company.
Andrew Balding also holds the key to the Betfred Mallard Handicap at 3.35. The Goat was very impressive in soft ground at Goodwood and will be more at home in these conditions than in the Melrose at York. He is likely to off favourite ahead of Ebor also ran Real Dream but nothing makes massive appeal in the contest.
DAY TWO SELECTIONS
FLORA OF BERMUDA (2.25 DONCASTER)
COLTRANE (3.00 DONCASTER)
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
