Having eased itself in with the Legends race yesterday, the St Leger meeting at Doncaster begins in earnest today with two Group Two events for fillies on the card, the May Hill Stakes for juveniles and the Park Hill for stayers.
Simple Verse, last year’s Leger winner, is the star name on the card in the latter event, as she returns to the scene of her controversial Classic success 12 months ago. Ralph Beckett’s filly was first across the line, demoted in favour of Bondi Beach by the racecourse stewards and then restored to first place at a subsequent appeal, and went on to confirm her class with victory in the Group One Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day.
Simple Verse has struggled to pick up where she left off in her four-year-old career, however, and was very disappointing in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out, when she failed to muster a significant effort before dropping through the field to finish seventh of nine.
As a result, Sir Michael Stoute’s improving three-year-old Abingdon currently heads the market for this afternoon’s race at around 9-4, with Simple Verse available at 9-2. Abingdon is not guaranteed to improve for an extra quarter of a mile, however, and is priced as much on potential and her connections as her recent form, which includes a defeat at Listed level in July.
Several of the other runners are attractively priced as a result, none more so than another Beckett-trained runner, Alyssa (3.05). She is proven at the trip, having won over 14 furlongs at Salisbury last month in a good time, and could be a very live contender at around 12-1.
Kilmah is the form horse in the May Hill Stakes after her recent win at Goodwood, but she had the run of the race there and Blending (2.30) may be able to improve past her today, while Spiritual Lady (3.40) stands out at the weights in the valuable event for graduates of last year’s Leger yearling sales. Poets Word (4.15) will take all the beating later on the card, while Possible Future (2.40) and Pacolita (3.15) catch the eye at Epsom.
Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday: Green Zone 5-1, Purple Party 9-2, Fast Act 10-1
Tuesday: Heir To A Throne 13-2, Noble Peace 8-1, Baysbrown 13-8
Wednesday: Priceless 4-1, Phosphorescence 7-1, Singeur 14-1
Standings after Day Three
Crasivo +19.50
BearRides +17.50
wiggy12 +17.50
jakebuckfast +13.63
lcprestes +12.13
sandiuk +11.50
Copshaw +11.50
wemeanyounoharm +7.50
titusisashambles +6
GandT123 +6
AshleyBrook +5
yasmin11 +5
GForce1 +4
cerises +2
LansonUproar +1.63
FinsburyPark +1.50
diegosigod +0
melonk +0
joehow +0
ID3814422 +0
orso -0.87
slackdad38 -1
Goldkid999 -1
Rivercity -1.50
Esherhammer -1.50
MrWinnersSonInLaw -1.50
ubikubik -3
jamesstod -3
72luca -3
DrKelso -3.50
Mulldog -3.50
Harrytheactor -3.50
moidadem -3.50
elliot45 -3.50
Ormrod76 -4
chris1623 -4
Toptrapper -4
Bacciodilupo -4
ps4999 -4
TheVic -4
PHILYERBOOTS -4
23skidoo -6.37
johne5knuckle -6.37
William36 -6.37
Perry Tang -6.37
Fixxxer -6.37
AndieAndson -6.37
robertkeen -6.37
GipsyHiller -9
millreef -9
Geoff Staddon -9
Renzofan -9
BatmanKaisers -9
donlewis -9
kingklynch -9
Ellandback -9
JahLion -9
slowhandray -9
gregcwb -9
waltersobchak -9
TL127 -9
LexLondon -9
ID0228872 -9
kmill68 -9
Blitzwing -9
16heathermac01 -9
maghazi -9
Ben Leo -9
Bonzodrongo -9
spudpt -9
goodfellow1 -9
Bigboozer -9
Lindsey6677 -9
Sportingbest -9
scarletdragon -9
dean055 -9
Cairo -9
jessie69 -9
Crasivo is our new leader, thanks to a most impressive double with Phosphorescence and Singeur. The others to find Singeur were wiggy12, sandiuk, titusisashambles and GandT123.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.05 Doncaster, 3.40 Doncaster, 6.00 Doncaster.
The prize for our final competition of 2016 is a copy of the new volume of Chasers & Hurdlers, to be published next month by Timeform. Running to 1,100 pages and retailing at £75, it is a big, beautiful record of the last jumps season, including many of the famous Timeform essays discussing the major performers and the issues raised during the winter. Evidently one of the essays suggests that some stewards are “blind ... to non-triers”! If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today but you will start on -9.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Alas, we’re not going to be able to continue with these competitions every week and this one will be the last until the new year. A reorganisation of duties has meant we no longer have the time needed to keep scores while also obtaining and distributing prizes.
We will still have competitions in the biggest weeks (Cheltenham, Aintree, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and maybe one or two others, as well as the Christmas quiz). And we’ll still have a Talking Horses each day for tips, analysis and news, so we very much hope you’ll join us to chew over whatever racing happens to be going on, especially those of you who have been in the habit of sharing winning tips at good prices.
It’s been almost eight years since DrKelso won our very first competition, which is not a bad length of time to sustain something like this. Congratulations to all our winners since then, commiserations if you never quite got your nose in front; there will be fewer chances to break your duck now but there will still be chances, so stay with us.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
