Doncaster St Leger Festival Tips: Katie Midwinter's four bets on Saturday from 9/2 to 33/1

• Bay City Roller can sing the right tune in the opener

• Outsider Wodao warrants a second glance

• Classy Ballydoyle colt makes the most appeal in the Classic

• George Boughey gelding is well-handicapped in the last

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Illinois Superboost

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Illinois is the favourite to win today's feature race at Doncaster, the St Leger at 15:40. He is the highest-rated horse in the race and has never finished out of the frame in all seven of his career starts, including finishing first or second in all of his last four races.

Today the Betfair Sportsbook have super-boosted the price of Illinois to finish in the top two from 8/131.61 to 1/12.00. To take advantage of this superboost just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

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13:50 Doncaster - Back Bay City Roller @ 5/16.00

Unbeaten New Bay colt Bay City Roller is bidding for a third successive victory as he steps up significantly in class to feature in the Group Two Champagne Stakes. A €320,000 purchase as a yearling, the colt has made a faultless start to his career.

On debut at Sandown, he beat Vecu, a promising Churchill colt who was sent off as joint-favourite in a competitive Newmarket maiden, before finishing second to Brave Mission at Kempton.

Bay City Roller then beat €130,000 purchase Rock d'Oro in a Chelmsford novice event, digging deep to pull clear in the final stages, with the first and second pulling over six-lengths clear of the rest.

Trained by George Scott, he can hold his own in this company and show further progression, representing value at the prices. Although course-and-distance winner Chancellor appears the one to beat, the favourite has been overturned in the past four renewals of this race, including Rosallion in last year's contest.

At odds of 5/16.00 in the hands of Callum Shepherd, Bay City Roller could be worth siding with.

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14:25 Doncaster - Back Wodao E/W @ 33/134.00

The Portland Handicap is an extremely difficult race to find the winner of, but one horse who justifies a second look and could be of each-way interest is one of the outsiders of the field in Wodao.

Purchased for 22,000gns by Jamie Osborne at the Tatts Autumn sales last year, the gelded son of Showcasing had previously fetched €260,000 as a yearling. He won a Listed race as a juvenile following an eight-placed finish when five-lengths behind Little Big Bear in the Windsor Castle Stakes, and finished third at odds of 12/113.00 when contesting a Listed contest at the track.

Previously trained by Donnacha O'Brien, the gelding has plenty of good form to his name, including a second in the Group Three Prix Sigy at Chantilly.

Since joining his new connections, he has shown some promise and he could be well-handicapped from a mark of 95. He remains unexposed in handicap company, but if he can build on his third when 25/126.00 at Goodwood recently, he can outrun his odds.

In recent renewals of this race there have been winners at odds of 25/126.00, 20/121.00, and 16/117.00, proving there is plenty of value in such a competitive contest.

At a huge price, Wodao shouldn't be discounted in the hands of Saffie Osborne.

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15:40 Doncaster - Back Grosvenor Square @ 9/25.50

Promising stayer Grosvenor Square convincingly won the Irish St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh by twenty-lengths last month, putting down a marker ahead of his attempt at this Classic. He had previously finished second to Tower Of London in the Group Two Curragh Cup, finishing seven-lengths ahead of subsequent Lonsdale Cup winner Vauban.

Since stepping up in trip over the staying distances, he has come into his own, and a tough test of stamina should suit on pedigree.

By Galileo out of Cape Cross mare Wadyhatta, the colt is a half-brother to Irish Derby winner Santiago, a winner of the Group Two Queen's Vase over 1m6f who was once third to Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup.

His dam is from the family of Urban Sea, with plenty of staying prowess among the relations, and with an exceptionally classy pedigree, with a strong emphasis on stamina, Grosvenor Square could stay on best of all to claim the prize.

With the ground likely to be on the softer side of good at best, the fact that the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt is a proven stayer, who has winning form on heavy ground, is a real positive.

Whilst stablemate Illinois could prove tough to beat, Grosvenor Square makes most appeal at the prices and could provide a minor upset.

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17:25 Doncaster - Back Raadobarg E/W @ 14/115.00

Six-year-old gelding Raadobarg is potentially well-handicapped from a mark of 99 in Saturday's finale. Trained by George Boughey, the son of Night Of Thunder, who fetched 150,000gns in 2021, finished third to Elnajmm when sent off at odds of 40/141.00 in handicap at Ascot in July, showing significant improvement on his previous three appearances.

On his seasonal reappearance at the Curragh in May, he finished third from top-weight in the competitive Irish Lincolnshire, when on a 6lb higher mark, in heavy ground. On the basis of that form, he is an attractive proposition at the weights, especially considering he finished third in this race three years ago, when trained by Roger Varian.

Following his spell at the Carlburg Stables, he switched yards to Johnny Murtagh for whom he won the Irish Lincolnshire from a mark of 98 before recording a double at Tipperary and trying his hand, unsuccessfully, at Group level. He did manage to finish fifth in the Group Two Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp however, when only a length-and-a-half behind the talented Facteur Cheval.

Yet to record a win for his current trainer, he has shown a useful level of form including when finishing third in the Earl Of Sefton Stakes in his first run for the yard, and placing in the Group Three Darley Stakes.

Having reached a career-high rating of 108 at his peak, Raadobarg has shown plenty of ability throughout his career and remains a useful performer. The return to a softer surface is certain to suit, and he has run well at the track before which bodes well for his chances at a big price.

The mount of David Egan for Amo Racing, Raadobarg holds strong each-way claims at odds of 14/115.00.

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