St Leger Betting: Day one dawns at Doncaster

General / Graham Cunningham / 10 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Racing UK pundit Graham Cunningham runs his eye over the best of the Wednesday sport on Town Moor.

York disappeared in an August monsoon and Haydock Sprint Cup day drowned in a September storm; but the false dawns have only sharpened the appetite of Flat racing fans for high-class action. "Sunny Donny" offers plenty on day one of the St Leger Festival.

1.30

A hot nursery and it will be interesting to see how strong a role the draw will play. The presence of a string of front runners should ensure a generous pace and in running players can expect to see High Alert, Amethyst Dawn, Cook's Endeavour and Lucky Redback all mixing it from the off.

Whether this is one to get stuck into is debateable, but Needwood Lad, Amethyst Dawn and Satwa Laird all warrant a positive mention. Don't be surprised if Needwood Lad comes off the bridle earlier than most, but he responds strongly and this step up to seven looks tailor made. Amethyst Dawn owns a much different running style and appeals as the sort who could trade much shorter than her pre-race price in running, while the turn of foot shown by Satwa Laird at Nottingham suggests he is open to plenty of improvement.

2.00

It's hard to think this small field will suit Docofthebay's holdup style, while Flying Clarets is hard as nails and could dictate but may just prove vulnerable late. That leaves With Interest and Perks and marginal preference is for the former. Perks bolted up on his debut over this trip at Haydock and will be in his element if the ground is soft. He heads the market this morning, but Godolphin have won this four times in the last decade and the lightly-raced With Interest looks another likely sort after running as if the race was just needed in a strong conditions event at Newmarket recently.

2.35

The class act here is plainly Benbaun, but is he at his very best just now and will this dead ground be ideal for him? What isn't in doubt is that the pace here will be brutal. Desert Lord goes hard from the front. Moorhouse Lad and Loch Verdi are also very speedy, while Princess Ellis has brazen early pace and appeals as a very lively longshot even though she was beaten off an official mark of just 85 at Musselburgh recently.

Galeota is unbeaten in three starts on Town Moor and won this last year. He isn't straightforward to assess having failed to fire this year, but all in all I suspect I will be looking to lay Benbaun at anything under 2.5 with the aim of backing him to save the stake in running at 4 if the speed horses get him off the bridle. Princess Ellis shouldn't be good enough to win, but don't be surprised to see this ultra-progressive filly trade at much shorter than her current double figure odds passing halfway.

3.10

Bonnie Charlie is currently trading at around 1.8 to confirm the promise of his fine effort in Goodwood's Molecomb Stakes and and his solid second in a big Sales race at Newmarket. In short, it looks about the right price. Fitz Flyer looks held by the favourite on HQ form, while Parisian Heart is down in trip after fading tamely over seven at Sandown. Jane Chapple Hyam's good record with horses who face a tough task means the maiden Invincible Heart shouldn't be discounted, but if the favourite is to be troubled then Faraway Flower looks the most likely. She bolted up on her debut here and shouldn't be judged on her sixth in Goodwood's Prestige Stakes given that she was checked in her run on several occasions up the straight.

3.45

As in the earlier nursery the draw could have a say and Adam Kirby could face some tricky decisions in finding the gaps for Carniolan from stall 15 of 15. Walter Swinburn's gelding is improving fast based on the way he quickened to overcome traffic trouble at Newmarket, while Harrison George has been dead reliable and should prove well suited by this return to seven.
Michael Jarvis held a high opinion of Royalist in the spring and this unexposed colt could be a danger to all if he settles well on a return from a lengthy break, but I'm less enthusiastic about the prospects of Keep Discovering. Granted, Mark Johnston's gelding has won his last two starts in handicaps, but he's been raised a further 6lb for winning with nil to spare from a good draw at Chester and a place lay looks a fair option against much more progressive rivals this time.