St Leger Meeting Day Two Tips: Indulge yourself and back Cossetted

If I were asked to frame an unattractive punting card, then it would look something like Doncaster's on Thursday.
 
I know that is what the boys at betting.betfair don't want me to write or file - sorry, chaps (ed: we'll let you off Tony, just this once) - but it should be what you should, occasionally at least, be reading in tipping pieces likes these.
 
Just because racing is on the box doesn't mean you have to bet on every race. 
 
Now, there is no-one more willing than me to unload across the board when decent punting opportunities arise, but Thursday is a day for the old pea-shooter - remember them? - rather than the punting blunderbuss.
 
I couldn't get my head around the opening nursery at 13:40 at all, so I am not going to waste your time discussing that 18-runner minefield.
 
And the 16-runner Sceptre Stakes at 14:10 isn't much easier, either.
 
I suspect that the progressive Bragging, so impressive when winning a handicap off a mark of 97 at York last time, could be the answer. 
 
But unfortunately so does the market, and when that happens, you walk away. There are simply too many proven Group 2/3 horses in here for me to backing her at around 3/1.
 
The Park Hill Stakes at 14:40 is another race in which I won't personally be playing in, but I think Seal Of Approval would head my betting if I was.
 
The mare is arguably "owed one" here after falling in this race last year, and I think that she is the clear form selection on her wide-margin soft ground win in a Group 1 at Ascot last back-end.
 
And she did run a lot better when third at Newbury last time, shaping as if a return to this longer trip would be very much in her favour. 
 
But she hasn't travelled with any convincing fluency in her recent races, and that concerns me, especially on this drying ground. So I am going to give this race a miss, too, as you can easily put up four or five against her and she is "only" likely to be about a 4/1 chance.
 
I was tempted to have a small-stakes interest in the sales race at 15:15 and back Fox Trotter but then I saw his price of around 5/1. Possibly somewhat optimistically, I was hoping for a fair bit bigger in this 22-runner contest.
 
But he has a strong chance, it must be said.
 
Everyone knows that only smart Brian Meehan two-year-olds tend to win first time up - most come on a bundle from their debuts - and I was actually a little disappointed by his five-length fourth to Ivawood in the Richmond Stakes last time.
 
That may seem a very odd thing to say given that was a big form step-up from his maiden win here in July, but it is just a measure of how taken I was by his debut win. The step up in trip looks sure to suit, and I would have backed him at around the 7/1 mark. 
 
And I will do, if he drifts.
 
I will back Cosseted in the 15:45 though.
 
No big story here. She may not have as sexy a profile as one or two of these, but she is a course and distance winner who will be suited by stepping down in trip and returning to handicap company after running a fair race in a 1m4f Newbury listed race last time.
 
And she returns to handicaps on a fair mark, too, just 4lb higher than when winning at Chester on her penultimate start, where the placed horses were both subsequent winners.
 
Back her at odds of 9.08/1 or bigger.
 
It is not on C4 obviously but I am going to throw a fiver - well, it is more likely to be a score, win and place, in truth - on Dark Castle in the 17:15
 
His recent efforts don't give him an obvious chance but he has now dropped back to the same mark as when an excellent neck second to the progressive Highland Acclaim, the pair three lengths clear of a then in-form Mon Brav, at York in June.
 
On that form he has a big chance at these weights, and the return to this track and trip - which has seen him run some of his better races, including a win here last season - could just re-ignite his recent dull, flickering flame.
 
Back him at odds of 21.020/1 or bigger.
 
We will almost certainly be busier in the punting department tomorrow, so tune in again then. 
 
Recommended Bets
Back Cosseted at odds of 9.08/1 or bigger in 15:45 at Doncaster
Back Dark Castle at 21.020/1 or bigger in 17:15 at Doncaster

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Listen to the latest Timeform Radio podcast where Timeform's Adam Barnes joins Dan Roebuck to discuss Thursday's racing at Doncaster...