Doncaster, 13:25 - Back Adrestia E/W @ 11/26.50
Aside from the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes, the final day of Doncaster's St Leger Festival is all about competitive handicaps and the three that kick of proceedings all have a good look to them from a punting perspective.
The opening 5f handicap sees the progressive Hypnotised installed as 3/14.00 market leader and this is a young sprinter who looks the type to get better as he gains in experience.
That rawness was still in evidence at Newbury last time, where he might well have won had he kept straight, going down by only a neck in the end.
He'll be a danger to all if building on that, but I prefer the claims of Adrestia, who is becoming seriously well handicapped having not fully hit her straps yet in 2026.
On the face of it, she doesn't look in any sort of form, but her down-the-field finish at Goodwood last time is much better than it looks on paper. The Crisford-trained filly didn't fare well at all with the draw that day and also met trouble to boot, finishing the race with what seemed like plenty of running left.
Her current mark of 92 is only 3lb above that which she won a big Royal Ascot handicap off last year and this is the lowest grade of race she has been in for quite some time.
Back Adrestia E/W in 13:25 Doncaster
Notable winners from Mark in recent weeks
Asia Force @ 6/1
Zgharta @ 9/2
Pierian @ 10/3
Kokbastau @ 11/4
Devil's Peak @ 2/1
Silver Lake @ 2/1
Hoseki @ Evens
Doncaster, 13:55 - Back Blue Brother E/W @ 9/110.00
Although Blue Brother was a winner over a mile in France back in his early days, he gives every indication that shorter will be his optimum nowadays and he looks of major interest as he drops down to 6.5f here.
Hamad Al Jehani's five-year-old ran an absolute blinder over 7f in the Buckingham Palace Handicap on his stable debut in June, where he was entitled to have needed the run returning from a year away.
He'd also run well there in the Hunt Cup the previous year, but he has got a little more enthusiastic as he's got older and my inkling is he could well be up to winning really good handicaps over this sort of distance, the way he's shaped over a mile on his last two starts adding credence to that theory.
The trainer has his team in good form, so I'm confident we can expect a bold showing from Blue Brother, and he makes plenty of appeal from an each-way perspective at 9/110.00.
Back Blue Brother E/W in 13:55 Doncaster
Doncaster, 14:30 - Back Wechaad @ 3/14.00
Another one who looks sure to be suited by a drop back to 7f is Roger Varian's Wechaad, and he rates the day's best bet in this good-quality handicap.
The son of Oasis Dream won a C&D nursery at this meeting in 2025 and was then far from disgraced when stepped up in class to finish third in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury.
Not seen to best effect when fourth on his seasonal return, Wechaad ran really well on his next start to finish seventh in the ultra-competitive Brittania at Royal Ascot, though did seem a little stretched trying a mile for the first time.
He also shaped that way when third over the same trip at Newmarket last time too, just appearing to run out of steam having travelled into the race with plenty of purpose.
Although his dam stayed further than a mile, Wechaad is by a sprinter and it could well be that this 7f trip proves his absolute optimum.
Back Wechaad to win 14:30 Doncaster