DONCASTER hosts the final Classic of the Flat season this Saturday as the St Leger Stakes (3.40pm) takes centre stage.
It’s a chance for horses with strong reserves of stamina to slog it out down the long home straight on Town Moor, and is a race where Aidan O’Brien often has a leading contender.
This year looks no exception, with the master of Ballydoyle currently having the top three in the betting in favourite Illinois, the unbeaten Jan Brueghel and impressive last time out winner Grosvenor Square.
With the ground looking like it could be quicker than usual for the time of year, it might suit Illinois best, but in truth I can see any of the three winning and O’Brien may well have the first three home.
It’s not a race I like from a betting angle and instead my money will be going on LAKE FOREST in the Park Stakes (3.00pm).
He strikes me as a horse that could still be improving in the autumn, after two good efforts so far this season, where he has only found Inisherin too good in the Commonwealth Cup and lost out narrowly to Elite Status at Newbury last time.
The ground should really suit William Haggas’ three-year-old with regular rider Tom Marquand indicating he was a horse that needed a fast surface to be seen at his best after getting off him last time.
While he blotted his copy book when refusing to enter the stalls at York last month, he has since undergone a stalls test and any worry that he may play up at the start again is factored into his price of 7/1.
With the Haggas yard currently in sparkling form, he looks well worth an each-way bet.
The big betting race at Doncaster on Saturday is the Portland Handicap over the flying five furlongs.
Pocklington has become a bit of cliff horse of mine this season and is tempting again after he caught the eye finishing fast at York last time.
However, a more solid option looks to be the Jim Goldie-trained AMERICAN AFFAIR.
The Scottish handler does well with his sprinters in these sorts of races, winning this contest in 2022, and his runner is coming here in a rich vein of form.
American Affair has won twice and placed four times from six starts this season, and again ran a big race when beaten only half-a-length into third behind Shagraan at Haydock last weekend.
He raced on the stands side that day while the action developed on the far side so it’s an effort that can be viewed favourably, and with Shagraan reopposing under a penalty he may be able to reverse that form.
At 10/1 I wouldn’t put anyone off an each-way play.
There’s also a huge weekend of racing from Ireland as Leopardstown hosts the first day of Irish Champions Festival, where the feature is the Irish Champion Stakes (3.25pm).
Economics ventures over for the Haggas yard to take on last year’s winner Auguste Rodin and he could prove hard to beat, but I can’t get excited from a betting perspective at odds of 7/4.
Instead, look to another British raider in the form of FALLEN ANGEL to get the better of likely favourite Porta Fortuna in the Matron Stakes (2.50pm).
Karl Burke’s filly prevailed over Porta Fortuna in the Moyglare last season, and looked better than ever when winning the Irish 1000 Guineas in May.
She could prove to be the value play against the favourite at around 5/2.
POINTERS SATURDAY
American Affair e/w 2.25pm Doncaster
Fallen Angel 2.50pm Leopardstown
Lake Forest e/w 3.00pm Doncaster