‘The omens are good for this one’ – My tips for day two of the St Leger festival at Doncaster

IF there is a God, then surely the super consistent SWEET WILLIAM will bang in his second Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup on Friday for the lush Phillipa Cooper and her Normandie Stud.

You have to go back to this day last year that Sweet William landed his last race, and that of course was when beating Trueshan with the re-opposing old boy Coltrane back in fourth.

PAHe’s not quite up to the level of the best stayers around – but no one would begrudge Sweet William another Doncaster Cup[/caption]

That success avenged a defeat by Trueshan in the 2023 renewal, a run that came off Sweet William’s terrific second in the Ebor.

Sweet William is a few pounds below the very best stayers around, but his fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup, his third in the Goodwood Cup and his second in the Lonsdale are all good runs in the context of this race.

The official handicapper actually believes he’s a 2lb better horse than he was last year, even though he has dropped from 117 to 115 this term.

Robert Havlin rides for John & Thady Gosden, and the omens are good as I would expect Sweet William to start favourite and seven of the last ten market leaders have taken the prize.

The Gosdens also landed it with Stradivarius (twice) and Samuel in 2010, who was also owned by Cooper.

The Doncaster Cup is live on ITV, with coverage getting under way with the Betfred Mallard Handicap over an extended 1m6f.

A rather odd bunch in here of horses who haven’t been seen much or appear to be better on the all-weather.

I’m happy to chance Dermot Weld’s Irish raider DURAJI who kept on well enough for fourth in a decent Goodwood handicap last time.

I don’t think he’s chucked in at all off 98, but conditions look ideal for an each-way run and William Buick is a decent booking.

Up in class next for the Listed Betfred Flying Scotsman, a race for juveniles over 7f.

I’m happy to go with NORTHERN CHAMPION who did really well to win on debut in France over this trip and in roughly the same conditions.

The runner-up went in at Ascot over the weekend in a decent field, and it might well be he’s got a lot more to give because Ed Walker horses usually improve for a run and he was not massively fancied in Deauville.

He also cost 825,000 euros at the breeze-up sales so should be good.

Kieran Shoemark is on top and he has been mustard for Walker this season.

Incidentally, this was the race in 2010 in which Frankel looked like he was from another planet. He was!

The big juvenile sprint is the Group 2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers over 5f.

LADY IMAN gets the chance to bounce back quick after her Nunthorpe flop to show she’s still class act for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane.

She beat some of her rivals in this in the Molecomb at Goodwood and while she would not want the ground too soft she really should have a decent chance against her own age group.

ITV also show the handicap over 1m4f.

This might well be a stride too far for BOSPHORUS ROSE but conditions are ideal for the Sir Mark Prescott runner ridden by Luke Morris.

Rated 74 at the start of this season, she’s up to 91 now but looked good in soft ground at Catterick and won well at Thirsk last time.

This is the big test, but if she pulls through connections will be looking to plunder some Black Type after this.

Finally, ITV pop to Salisbury for the rescheduled Group 3 Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes for youngsters over 6f.

A number of these are open to much improvement.

ANTHELIA gets a good draw provided they don’t come stands’ side and was far from disgraced at York when fifth in a big sales race there.

She stayed on well that day but still showed enough pace to land the Super Sprint at Newbury over 5f.

She’s just tough as they come, and has a fair chance here for Rod Millman and Lewis Edmunds.

Good luck!