Alan Dudman Antepost Tips: 8/1 and 12/1 Doncaster picks on St Leger weekend

• Betfair Sportsbook have priced up 10 of the races on Friday and Saturday

• York Portland pick at 12/113.00 for compensation

• Alan Dudman also previews the St Leger this weekend

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Mallard and Flying Scotsman options for Friday

Four of the Doncaster Friday races are priced up on the Sportsbook nice and early, and the Mallard Handicap looks the punting highlight potentially for the day over 1m7f, although James Fanshawe's East India Dock at a skinny 6/42.50 favourite with 16 entries at the time of writing doesn't look bet material.

He's one of two three-year-olds in the race with the other being Subsequent - who is the second favourite at 11/43.75. East India Dock breezed to a win at Goodwood by nearly 5L, where as Subsequent looks far more a stayer. Not quite a plodder, but his win recently came in soft conditions.

Out of the race, there are no real attacking aces to take on those two, although Kihavah's second in the Ebor probably makes him the one to pick out at 5/16.00 and while there are decent prices elsewhere from the top two, it's a watching brief for now.

The Flying Scotsman Stakes follows at 14:25 on Friday on the ITV4 cameras and there's a rarity in seeing a Sir Michael Stoute juvenile towards the head of the market.

It's been a lean year for Stoute, but Jonquil looks an above-average two-year-old after a gritty win on debut at Sandown and the reputation seemed spot on as he travelled into the race well and overcame some traffic issues late in the race to win.

Stoute has five wins in this and one as recent as 2018 with Sangarius.

King Of Cities for Richard Hannon looks a big price at 8/19.00 and might be worth a long term bet here for Friday.

He made his debut in the 'Frankel Maiden' last month at Newmarket and shaped well in third before he put his experience to good use to score at Chester.

There was a lot to like about his effort at the Roodee. While a small field, he had to race up from a wide position to take a lead and tow, and while his jockey Sean Levey said afterwards he wasn't quite quick enough early on, I am sure that was to do with the track. But going around Chester is a good experience for one so young.

He has some fancy entries as you'd expect with his pedigree with Dewhurst and Royal Lodge potential engagements. There's scant doubt he will stay further next year, and his times from Chester showed him strongest in the finish in the final two furlongs.

Doncaster will suit him and looking at the forecast this week, it is relatively dry, so my hopes are far from curdled on that front.

Sweet William favourite for Doncaster Cup

The Doncaster Cup on Friday at 15:35 is thin at the entries stage and thin in terms of a bet with Sweet William 13/82.63 against Gregory 2/13.00 at the Sportsbook summit.

Sweet William was a creditable second in the Goodwood Cup, and while I think he wants softer ground, there's still a part of me that doesn't quite trust him in a finish. Whether he's hardy and fearless is the question for all of his gifts and I wouldn't want to be backing at such cramped odds.

Trueshan needs his stormy petrels circling over Town Moor, and as ever will require his ground. He's a former winner with Coltrane, but it's a tedious subject that has been going on for years with him and soft going, while Point Lonsdale isn't the most consistent.

In short, I can easily sit this one out.

Portland prime pickings for handicap each-way bet

Saturday's action and St Leger day sees the Sportsbook with six races on the card all with prices up and there's no doubt that the Portland Handicap at 14:25 is the best punting race of the afternoon.

Elmonjed is the 6/17.00 favourite - a three-year-old on the up after handicap wins at Windsor and York. The latter saw him with a favourable draw on the far side on the Knavesmire, and a rise to 96 looks fair.

He'd want it to stay dry I reckon so he looks okay on that score, but another York alumni from the Ebor meeting went on my radar, and still is, and that's Pocklington - who was arguably one of the unlucky ones with the draw.

I put him up as a selection in my Daily Racing Multiple column in JM Jungle's win on the first day but he was hampered by not only the slow start, but also the draw (the worst of it) and a wall of horses in front of him.

He absolutely motored home late on and his position in tenth from stall 21 doesn't do his effort justice. It was his first run since the wind op and first handicapping too after runs in top company against Inisherin and Elite Status. He remains unchanged from 96, so the assessor wasn't hiding behind the sofa at York.

Napoleon often asked of his generals "Are they lucky?" Well, Pocklington wasn't.

At 12/113.00, I am happy to stick him up as an each-way bet with the four places on the Sportsbook.

St Leger and Aidan O'Brien dominance - again

In the words of Delia Smith: "Where are you? Where are you?"

No Charlie Appleby, no Roger Varian, no Stoute, nor any of the other Newmarket marvels. Ralph Beckett however is not afraid of crossing the Rubicon with his fillies and his You Got To Me has been supplemented to take on her male counterparts after her Irish Oaks triumph.

So well done the 'R' man.

It really is a sad state of affairs that amongst the 200 or so Godolphin horses not one is deemed worthy of a place here, or one with sufficient staying impetus for the staying crown.

Beckett is banking on decent ground for the weekend and said after the 50k was spent: "I don't think stamina will be an issue," predicted the trainer. "She seems in good shape. We're conscious that her best form is on good ground or faster and it looks like being that at the weekend if the forecast is correct."

I think 11/26.50 is a fair reflection of her chances, but being supplemented is a flimsy basis for an argument to wager a bet, especially facing the behemoth Ballydoyle team - who singlehandedly are supporting the Leger in the breed and in their contenders.

Take your pick: Illinois at 7/42.75, Jan Brueghel 10/34.33, Grosvenor Square 4/15.00 or less so Los Angeles at 12/113.00. The Fab Four will be looking to add to O'Brien's monumental record in the race, although the Fab Four is likely to be be the Fab Three as Los Angeles is penciled in for the Irish Champion Stakes on the same day at half the price.

Praise, however, must be metered out to the trainer. Yes, he has the backing financially, but it's not rocket science breeding stayers from stayers. You won't see any Mehmas runners on his watch. Nor on mine if I were some sort of staying Tsar.

Ballydoyle and O'Brien now have no equivalents.

Illinois is thoroughly dependable and will stay and stay. His second in the Great Voltigeur behind Los Angeles played to the strengths of LA, who was more suited to the tempo quickening and a Timeform master rating of 119.

I really like the work of Jan Brueghel - the artist too, famed for pitchforks and workers, and there's something of the artisan about the equine version.

He's no-nonsense, not flashy and unbeaten in three starts and still retains a Timeform small 'p' to denote more improvement to come. Indeed, he's worth that as he is sure to get the trip judged on his effort in the Gordon Stakes when beating Bellum Justum.

His attitude was spot on there, and he was giving away 3lb to the second. He has that Galileo tenacity and has raced on good, good to firm and soft in his three starts, so ground cannot be a cause for concern.

The Gordon Stakes can be a good stepping stone (or indeed conduit) to the Leger, that was indeed won by Conduit in 2008 as the last horse to achieve that particular double.

Out of the two (Illinois and Jan Brueghel), my preference is for the latter. It will be interesting to see if he is calmer in the prelims than he was at Goodwood, although Donny's wide open spaces might be more beneficial rather than the tightly-packed Goodwood.

Deira Mile was fourth in the Derby and has always looked a Leger type, but he was turned over at Windsor last time and that is far removed from Classic form, while Sunway is a hardy fellow, much like his trainer David Menuisier - another who isn't frightened of taking on the elite.

Sunway's run in the Irish Derby puts him bang there, but he let the form down in the King George at Ascot in the most bizarre of races. He was positioned well (off the frantic pace), but speed deserted him at a crucial point and the ground was rattling fast.

He'll stay I am sure, but I am less convinced if he has the class to win a Classic.

I'll be back with two Big Race Verdicts at the end of the week and a more detailed look at Irish Champions weekend.

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