Saturday Racing Tips: Timeform's three at Doncaster and Leopardstown including St Leger contender

13:45, Doncaster - Desert Castle to emulate Emotionless

2 (5)

Desert Castle

• J: Billy Loughnane
• T: Charlie Appleby
• F: 1

• SBK 10/11
• EXC 2

Desert Castle created a favourable impression when making an impressive winning start to his career at Newmarket last month and, open to oodles of improvement, he's fancied to overcome the rise in grade and keep his unbeaten record intact.

Charlie Appleby won this race in 2015 with the once-raced Emotionless who was sent off a short-priced favourite on the back of an impressive debut win at Newmarket in the same race that Desert Castle came clear in last month.  

With the Timeform 'Large P' attached to his rating - denoting significant improvement is expected - this 'Horse In Focus' can make as big an impression as his stablemate Musical Times did on Thursday.

15:35, Doncaster - Fine-tuned Christmas Day to complete Derby/St Leger double

3 (5)

Christmas Day (Ire)

• J: R. P. Whelan
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F: 511-13123

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 3.65

This test is likely to bring out the best in Christmas Day given the manner of his gruelling Derby victory and his two starts subsequently, so he can provide Aidan O'Brien with a fourth straight win in Britain's oldest Classic.  

The pick of the Ballydoyle battalion as his trainer seeks a 10th win in the race in total, Christmas Day tops Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings despite finishing behind stablemate Pierre Bonnard in the Great Voltigeur at York. The latter was receiving weight on that occasion, whereas the general consensus was that Christmas Day was carrying a bit of condition after two months off.

Primed for this target, and reunited with Ronan Whelan who rode him to success at Epsom, he's fancied to see off the Joseph O'Brien pair of Highwayman and Enceladus (who wears first-time cheekpieces) both of whom have the Timeform 'small p' and are open to further improvement.

15:55, Leopardstown - Blue Bolt to complete hat-trick of wins over Precise

1 (9)

Blue Bolt (Ire)

• J: C. T. Keane
• T: Andrew Balding
• F: 1122-1111

• SBK 5/4
• EXC 2.02

Blue Bolt has got the better of Precise in Group 1s on her last two starts so she'll be hard to beat again with this race having reportedly been her main target for a while.  

Top by 3 lb on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, the Andrew Balding-trained filly has carried all before her this season and this uncomplicated daughter of Blue Point has very few weaknesses.

The lack of rain this week is arguably in her favour and she should be able to hold a prominent pitch from her wide draw with only Carolina Jetstream (who was sixth behind Blue Bolt at Royal Ascot) and last year's winner Fallen Angel (who hasn't been at her best this season) likely to push on early.

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