Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Doncaster, Chester and Musselburgh on Saturday. View selections below.
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CAPRI (3.35) can provide Aidan O’Brien with his fifth William Hill St Leger success at Doncaster.
The galloping grey brings the best form into the race, a gutsy verdict over Cracksman and Wings Of Eagles in a frenetic finish to the Irish Derby at the Curragh.
O’Brien’s St Leger horses traditionally use the Great St Voltigeur at York as their stepping stone to the world’s oldest Classic and it is a pity Capri missed that engagement following a slight knock.
However, the formbook doesn’t lie and Cracksman would surely be a hot favourite if he had lined up this afternoon, which makes Capri the bet.
The support card looks very tricky and I’m off to Chester for a couple of cracking bets in DURETTO (2.40) and KENSTONE (3.15).
Andrew Balding’s Duretto hasn’t been seen since running an excellent third to Western Hymn and US Army Ranger in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes on the Roodeye back in May.
Winner of last season’s St Simon Stakes at Newbury on his favoured soft ground, Duretto should encounter similar underfoot conditions.
Kenstone is more of an each-way wager in a wide-open 7f handicap. The grey is up 9lb after pulverising the opposition over course snd distance three weeks ago when getting a perfect tow into the race from a low draw.
Kenstone has been lucky with the draw once again, emerging from stall four, and his young rider should be able to take up a similar stalking position. Softish ground is another bonus and he just gets the nod over another wide-margin Chester scorer, Dan Troop. The handicapper has been even more penal with the only three-year-old in the line-up, awarding him a whacking 13lb rise.
SET IN STONE (4.05) is fancied to complete her hat-trick for Pat Shanahan on Musselburgh’s Saturday card.
The filly was most impressive at Newbury last month, following an equally authoratitive success at Hamilton, where she has scored twice this season.
The key to Set In Stone is an easy surface and with rain falling earlier in the week there should be no jar in the track.
William Haggas saddles Contentment, off the track since beating only two home at Chelmsford City in early July. Contentment won a maiden at Goodwood on a softish surface but lost out to Miss Sheridan at Carlisle. The southern raider may help make the market for Set In Stone.
TOR (5.15) faces six rivals in the Caledonian Cup over 1m 6f and will find this less competitive than his last outing at York. Iain Jardine’s gelding attempted to make all but was swamped early in the straight, finishing unplaced along with one of his rivals here, Dominating, in the race won by Godolphin’s Secret Advisor.
Forcing tactics had earlier worked a treat at Chester and Hamilton, and soft ground would be a bonus.
Haggas’s Solo Mission beat Chocolate Box quite comfortably at Ripon and ran well in defeat off a 6lb higher mark when chasing home Royal Reserve at Kempton. He is up another 3lb here but arrives in good nick.
Dominating mopped up a weaker contest over course and distance earlier in the summer and there isn’t much between him and TOR on a collateral form line through Zenon..
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Tally Ho
Alan
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