The St Leger Festival begins at Doncaster on Thursday
Intrusively, Mistral Star and Promethean feature in our selections
Expired
Doncaster races. (Getty)
Thursday's ITV Tips
1:50pm Doncaster - Nursery Handicap Tips
2:25pm Doncaster - 2-Y-O Stakes Tips
3:00pm Doncaster - May Hill Stakes Tips
3:35pm Doncaster - Park Hill Stakes Tips
4:10pm Doncaster - Pertemps Network Handicap Tips
Doncaster St Leger Festival gets off to an excellent start on Thursday. ITV Racing will be showing five live races from Doncaster, including two Group Two contests and the £300k 2-Y-O Stakes.
This nursery handicap has often helped punters make a strong start to the St Leger Festival. Favourites have struck in five of the last ten renewals, and only two juveniles have carried double-figure prices to victory.
Following any late gambles that emerge could be the way to go. At the current prices, I'm going to side with SCATTER PENNY (14/1), who ran out an impressive winner on her first two starts over six furlongs.
Joanna Mason's mount stayed on well to finish ninth on her handicap debut during the Ebor Festival, where an awful start ruined any hopes she had of winning. A tongue-tie goes on for the first time on Tuesday and Scatter Penny has been dropped a pound for that effort at York. She could go well.
2:25pm Doncaster - 2-Y-O Stakes Tips
The class horses have established themselves at the head of the market for this valuable contest. Caburn finished a place ahead of Camille Pissarro when fifth in the Gimcrack Stakes, while King Of Bears and An Outlaw's Grace bring strong form to the table too.
I like the chances of INTRUSIVELY (9/2), who went into the Richmond Stakes on the back of three narrow defeats. Ed Bethell's juvenile was slowly away in that Group Two at Goodwood. Intrusively didn't handle the track well either, but was still only beaten a length back in third.
Intrusively then claimed a confidence-boosting maiden victory at Nottingham, where he again looked green as he powered to a six-length success. Rossa Ryan comes in for the ride on Thursday and this progressive son of Territories comes out best at the weights.
If you plan on watching any of Thursday's races via a mobile or tablet, then check out our May Hill Stakes Live Stream page.
Mistral Star winning at Salisbury. (Getty)
3:35pm Doncaster - Park Hill Stakes Tips
I've been impressed with the progress that MISTRAL STAR (11/2) has made this season, and Hughie Morrison's filly could be the one to side with in this wide-open Group Two.
Mistral Star ran like she needed the outing on her reappearance at Ayr, and built on that showing with a fine third in the Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock, where she was only beaten two lengths behind Queen Of The Pride. Morrison's four-year-old then romped to victory in the Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket, scoring by over three lengths with plenty left in the tank.
Morrison then handed Mistral Star an impossible task in the Yorkshire Oaks. William Buick's mount acquitted herself well, winning the race for fourth as Content, You Got To Me and Emily Upjohn fought out the finish. Mistral Star looks well up to Group Two level within her own sex and on breeding, she should get this new trip comfortably enough.
4:10pm Doncaster - Pertemps Network Handicap Tips
With David Menuisier's stable still in excellent form, it could pay to side with PROMETHEAN (13/2) in this three-year-old handicap. Menuisier's colt ran over ten furlongs in France as a juvenile, but was dropped down to a mile after a fairly tame effort on his reappearance at Newbury.
Sean Levey gave Promethean a patient ride at Newmarket last month, and his powerful late finish was narrowly repelled by the in-form Great Chieftain. Menuisier's colt should be at his best over this longer distance and a mere two-pound rise for that Newmarket run seems lenient.
Verdict
Thursday's ITV Tips at Doncaster:
Best Bet1: Intrusively 2:25pm Doncaster @9/2 at bet365 - 10 Units
Best Bet2: Mistral Star 3:35pm Doncaster @11/2 at BoyleSports - 10 Units
Best Bet3: Promethean 4:10pm Doncaster @13/2 at Betgoodwin - 10 Units
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