Renowned tipster Andrew Mount gives five selections for Thursday’s racing, including a trio of selections from the opening card of Doncaster’s St Leger Festival.
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Posted: 5.35pm September 13th (Odds correct at time of writing)
2.25 Doncaster – SOLDIER’S GOLD (1pt win – 12/1 generally) + ROOM SERVICE (1pt win – 16/1 Bet365 + William Hill, 14/1 generally)
Dragon Leader was very impressive on fast ground at York, but he’s not bred to appreciate soft conditions and can be taken on at shortish odds (9-4 at the time of writing). SOLDIER’S GOLD (stall 18 of 18) ran a fine 12-1 fifth of 20 against the pace bias in Gushing Gold’s nursery at York, doing third best of those to come from the back, and Hugo Palmer’s colt will be suited by the slightly shorter trip today. That York nursery is starting to work out, with the two hold-up horses who beat him both running well since – third-placed Inishfallen was narrowly beaten by Aablan in Group 3 company at Sandown on his next start and fourth home Dark Encounter won at Newcastle next time. The easier ground won’t be an issue and Oisin Murphy is a positive booking.
I also want to back one on the other side of the track -= Kevin Ryan’s ROOM SERVICE (stall 1). The son of Kodi Bear is bred to appreciate the soft conditions and looks set to improve for the extra yardage after he ran second best of the hold-up horses in Zoulu Chief’s York nursery. Starlust, second by a neck and best of those to come from midfield or further back at York, franked the form when landing a Group 3 at Kempton last week.
3.05 Naas – BEECHWOOD STAR (1pt win – 40 Bet365, 18/1 SkyBet, 16/1 generally)
It’s official – I’m going over the cliff with BEECHWOOD STAR – who bombed out on his nursery debut when I made him a 2pt win bet at Newcastle last time. I had expected improvement in the first-time cheekpieces, but he drifted markedly and never got into the race, trailing home over 13 lengths behind the winner in eighth place. The return to easy ground could be the key – his sole run on such a surface saw him go down by a head at Ayr on his second career start despite running green – and Richard Fahey wouldn’t be sending him to Ireland if he didn’t think he could bounce back to form. British raiders dominated this contest last year, filling four of the first five places.
3.35 Doncaster – CHING SHIH (1pt E/W – 7/1 generally)
Patient tactics are perfect for Doncaster’s long straight and the last ten winners of the 1m6.5f Park Hill Stakes received the following in-running comments from the Racing Post…
In rear
Tracked leaders
Held up in last
Held up in rear
Tracked leaders
Led
Held up in rear
Soon tracking leaders on outer
Mid-division
Held up towards rear
If we look at all 82 races over this course and distance in the past ten years, only five winners made all (6%), 25 were prominent (from 246 qualifiers, 10.2%) and 52 came from off the pace (from 352 qualifiers, 13.9%). David Simcock runners are usually held up and that’s certainly been the case with CHING SHIH who came from well back when a 20-1 second to all-the-way winner Arrest at Newbury last time. She also caught the eye when a 10-1 third against the pace bias in a 1m4f Pontefract Listed race in June and, with Sumo Sam, Night Sparkle and Boogie Woogie likely to ensure a strong gallop, she can pick up the pieces late.
4.55 Chelmsford – STARJIK (1pt win – 10/1 generally)
We were a little unfortunate with out each-way bet on STARJIK (second, 22-1 from 33-1) in a 6f handicap at Chelmsford last month, as the Ewan Whillans-trained six-year-old bumped into a ridiculously progressive rival for a Class 6 contest in the shape of The Waiting Game, who has gone on to notch up a hat-trick. It was still a fine effort to get within three and a half lengths of that rival and I want to go in again, despite his wide draw in stall 10. The son of Exceed And Excel hasn’t had many opportunities on Polytrack and his course record now reads 132 (1-3), with the third-pace at 14-1 when doing best of those to race prominently when the pace collapsed (the winner, runner-up, fourth, fifth and six all came from midfield or further back).
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
2.25 Doncaster – SOLDIER’S GOLD (1pt win – 12/1 generally) + ROOM SERVICE (1pt win – 16/1 Bet365 + William Hill, 14/1 generally)
3.05 Naas – BEECHWOOD STAR (1pt win – 40/1 Bet365, 18/1 SkyBet, 16/1 generally)
3.35 Doncaster – CHING SHIH (1pt E/W – 7/1 generally)
4.55 Chelmsford – STARJIK (1pt win – 10/1 generally)
Andrew Mount’s tip for Thursday 14th September 2023.
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