Doncaster Betting Tips for Day 1 of the 2024 St Leger Festival

1:50 Doncaster

The opener on Day 1 of the St Leger meeting is a fillies nursery handicap over 6 and a half furlongs. 

It’s ART DESIGN (7/1) for me here. She is an improving filly who brings a decent level of experience to the table for a contest like this. Two starts ago, she ran in a deep nursery on her nursery debut at Newmarket where she finished a good third. She then was last seen at Southwell where she stayed on strongly to get up close to home. Now, she’s got that win on the board, it’ll have done her confidence the world of good. A mark of 76 has to be well within her reach and she looks sure to go well here.

 

2:25 Doncaster

The 2:25 race is a 2 year-olds stakes contest again over 6 and half furlongs.

It is CABURN (4/1) NB for me here for the shrewd and upcoming Jack Jones stable. Caburn started his career with two impressive victories, firstly at Salisbury in a novice stakes before following up in the Super Sprint at Newbury which is always a competitive contest. We last saw him in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York and he was far from disgraced finishing fifth there. This stiffer test Doncaster offers over an extra half a furlong looks bound to suit and he sets the standard here. 

 

3:00 Doncaster

Next up, we have the May Hill Stakes, a Group 2 for the 2 year-old fillies over the mile.

The one I’ve landed on is JANUARY (8/1) EW. She looks to be learning on the job after improving from her runner-up debut effort to win a maiden on her second start in typical Aiden O’Brien fashion. She was then pitched into Group 2 company at the Curragh on her third start and she still looked in need of experience and a step up in trip. O’Brien didn’t hesitate to step her up in trip as she was last seen over 7 and half furlongs where she ran a career-best. She relished the extra yardage there, bolting up by 4 lengths at listed level. This extra half a furlong again looks ideal and the stiff finish looks sure to suit her well. She’s definitely on an upward curve and she comes from the right yard to continue on that trajectory. I think she’s overpriced here and offers value.

 

3:35 Doncaster 

The 3:35 is the Park Hill Stakes, again for the fillies over the same trip but it’s the turn of the elders.

My selection here is NIGHT SPARKLE (7/2) NAP. She has a lot fewer questions to answer than the majority of the field and she comes here off a fine effort against the boys 3 weeks ago in the Lonsdale Cup at York. She was runner-up on three occasions prior to that including in the Lillie Langtry Stakes and she deserves to get her head in front. This is the weaker race and compensation awaits.

 

4:10 Doncaster

We end the ITV coverage on Day 1 with the 4:10, a 1m2f handicap. 

It’s PROMETHEAN (6/1) here for me who sneaks into this off bottom weight. The 3 year-old maiden has run some really good races despite not getting his head in front and he must have races in him off a mark of 85. He shaped full of promise over the mile at Newmarket last time out, coming from off the pace to finish second. This extra 2f looks sure to play to his strengths and this 3 year-old is arguably open to more improvement than the majority of the field here.

 

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