Saturday ITV Antepost Horse Racing Tips: Back 16/1 shot for Portland glory on Doncaster St Leger day

• Three-year-old appeals for yard with 44% placed record at Donny

• Portland pick a double figure price at 16/117.00 for Saturday

• Alan Dudman looks at a trio of races on St Leger day 

Doncaster - 13:15: Back Treble Tee @ 5/16.00

A max field of 22 are due for the opening 13:15 PJ Towey Construction Handicap over 1m at Doncaster to open St Leger day and a couple at bigger prices were under consideration. But I've plumped for Treble Tee for the Crisfords.

This three-year-old has presumably been a handful to train as he had wind surgery and was subsequently gelded earlier in the summer. Since the return he has posted two improved efforts in good handicaps, but he's had headgear on for both.

Treble Tee for trouble presumably.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the piece of form when second to Big Leader recently in the Thirsk Summer Cup, and Big Leader for Geoff Oldroyd is a horse I rate highly.

Treble Tee, if a little keen, travelled just as well and was going far better than Hi Royal and La Trinidad (rated 101 and 96) but didn't quite have the instant acceleration to close the gap on the winner.

A move to a long straight like Doncaster could help him immensely, and while he ran with credit again in second when last seen at Goodwood behind Tribal Chief, a more conventional track should help. He is still improving.

The trainer Simon Crisford has some impressive numbers at Doncaster with a 23% win rate and 44% placed record.

Doncaster - 14:25: Back Run Boy Run E/W four places @ 16/117.00

Air Force One heads the market on the Betfair Sportsbook in terms of the antepost prices for the 14:25 Portland Handicap and he fully deserves a nice pot following a string of fine runs at his beloved York.

Still off a mark of 87, I think he could be better than that.

However, at 4/15.00 in this sort of race in a swirling vortex of handicap sprinters, I am more inclined to push towards the each-way angle.

It will be worth monitoring how Atomic Force goes in the betting as a 25/126.00 shot as of Tuesday midday. He has joined Ed Bethell and was last seen winning around Happy Valley 276 days ago.

My idea of an each-way bet at this stage is Run Boy Run for Richard Spencer as a 16/117.00 poke, and we're playing with four places on the Sportsbook.

He's had a couple of runs over 7f this term, but he's better at six, and might be even better at a long straight over five-and-a-half, with a strong pace to aim at.

The ground appears all the same to Run Boy Run as he ran a cracking fourth in the Stewards' Cup behind stablemate Two Tribes when soft on the stands' side, and was second at Newbury in a 0-105 on good to firm earlier in the season.

He made the running at Newbury down the centre of the track, although his early pace wasn't searching and, when headed, came back again for second in a race finishing speed of 105%. On that, he could well be better served with waiting a bit more.

Off a mark of 94, there's still a bit more to come.

Doncaster - 15:00: Back Room Service E/W three places @ 8/19.00

Shadow Of Light looks a rank bad favourite in the 15:00 Group 2 Park Stakes over 7f. Yes he has the Classic form at Newmarket earlier in the season, and a recent fourth in the Prix Jean Prat, but I am still to be convinced. He may also be better on soft.

Room Service also could be one that could do with some ease in the turf as he won twice last autumn on soft and also bagged a victory at Donny in the Listed Wentworth Stakes before winter kicked in.

This term he's been campaigned over 7f, and while winless in 2025 from his three starts, he has performed his duties admirably with the new trip and the seven still looks worth exploring.

This doesn't look a strong Group contest either and Room Service might have a question mark raised against him after his effort in the Minstrel Stakes last time in Ireland. He had soft, but he was all over the place and finished near last.

He's better than that. But is he tricky?

At York in the Criterion he was second behind Quinalt in a bizarre performance and a somewhat disparate effort.

Quinalt went off hard from the front but after two furlongs Room Service found himself 10 lengths behind and pushed along. He conjured up a rousing effort down the straight and thundered home. In the middle part, at four furlongs, he ran the joint-quickest sectional at 11.01 seconds and clocked three subsequent faster sectionals than the winner.

Maybe it was a sulky effort, and on York perhaps the going was a bit too fast for him?

Either way he is far from a lost cause and, with track form and the fact he came good last autumn, he looked a little overpriced at 8s.

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