Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle reveals her thoughts on the feature races at Doncaster on Friday including the Group Two Doncaster Cup and Flying Childers Stakes Our ambassador Hollie Doyle gives her verdict on the action from Town Moor, providing her take on the Doncaster Cup, Flying Childers and Flying Scotsman. With question marks hanging over star attraction Caballo De Mar in the Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes (3.00) at Doncaster on Friday, Aidan O’Brien looks set to take the honours for the first time in 18 years. The master of Ballydoyle hasn’t won the marathon since Honolulu galloped to victory in 2008 – 12 months after Septimus delivered his only previous win in the historic race. However, I expect Queenstown to set the record straight under Ryan Moore following his reappearance win in a Group Three at The Curragh last month.
The six-year-old needs to build on that to avenge a defeat by Caballo De Mar in last autumn’s Prix du Cadran but I believe this gelded son of the great Galileo can pull it off with conditions very much to his liking in this Group Two. There’s no questioning the record of George Scott’s likely favourite who has a brace of Group Ones on his CV, but he needs to bounce back from two baffling runs in the Gold Cup and the Lonsdale Cup at York last month when he emptied quickly. While the Doncaster Cup is all about stamina, the Group Two Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes (2.25) over five-furlongs showcases raw speed and Richard Hannon’s Pershaada has that in abundance. My old guv’nor has a good record at this meeting and has found a great opportunity for Middleham Park Racing’s daughter of Persian Force to win her second Group race of the season.
She was electric in the Group Three Molecomb Stakes at the Goodwood Festival when she eased away from a good field including the re-opposing subsequent Listed winner and market rival Sale Shark. It didn’t work out for Pershaada against the older, more battle-hardened sprinters in the Nunthorpe at York, but she sets the standard back against her own generation with the excellent Sean Levey in charge. I do think Aidan O’Brien’s Carry The Flag is a little overlooked, however, after setting strong fractions in the Group One Prix Morny in Deauville last time. Beaten only two lengths in soft ground, he promises to be a handful back over the minimum distance.
I was most impressed by Forgotten Fire’s debut win in a Salisbury novice so don’t be surprised to see the Andrew Balding-trained filly take the step up in class in her stride in the Listed Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes (1.15) on Friday. Jeff Smith’s beautiful home-bred looked a stakes filly in the making when showing a great attitude to slam her rivals over six furlongs and can find the necessary improvement over this longer trip. She’s impeccably bred, being a half-sister to Group winners See The Fire and Venetian Prince and is out of Jeff’s wonderful Juddmonte International winner Arabian Queen. I can see why Godolphin’s Nabati will be popular among punters as he steps up in grade.
His only defeat was a narrow one when he pushed Arapaho Gold all the way in the Listed Rose Bowl at Newbury before Michael Dods’ colt won the Gimcrack. Charlie Appleby’s son of Night Of Thunder could be anything at this stage, as his entry in the Group One Middle Park suggests, but I have a feeling Forbidden Fire will set the Town Moor turf alight. The British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap (3.35) on Friday looks ultra-competitive but the standout for me is Ralph Beckett’s Nochebuena. A novice winner over course and distance back in June, she only just failed to hold on in a strong fillies’ race at Ascot the following month in a race that has been franked by the winner Hoseki.
That was an encouraging handicap debut so a 4lbs rise in the rankings may not be enough to prevent her from taking this prize. A live alternative is Marco Botti’s Golden Muse – a filly I won on at Wolverhampton back in the early spring. It’s still early days for her as a turf performer but she did run with promise over a shorter trip at this track earlier in the year. The weighing room stars of yesteryear will be so excited to be taking part in the Betfred Leger Legends Classified Stakes (1.50) at Doncaster on Friday.
The anticipation of getting back out on the track will be a buzz for them all but I’ve got a feeling the recently retired Joe Fanning will be the toast of Town Moor. Joe, who brought an amazing career to a close only this summer, rides Joe Parr’s Wield who finished his race off strongly over a mile at Southwell last time. If he can replicate that on turf, he can get off the mark at the eighth attempt. Sammy Joe Bell has won this race a remarkable three times, so I expect her to go well on another All-Weather performer, the Michael Herrington-trained Anthropologist.
This race has really caught public imagination since its inception in 2010 and has raised well over £1m for the Injured Jockeys’ Fund. It’s a huge credit to everyone involved, from the jockeys who so sportingly take part to those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Hollie Doyle was speaking to Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft. Watch every race of the Betfred St Leger Festival live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 512) from Thursday to Sunday.
