It’s the final day of the St Leger festival at Doncaster on Sunday 14th September, while there’s a top notch card at Curragh on day two of Irish Champions Festival. Matthew Sutcliffe has taken a look through the form guides for the live ITV races and has picked out three bets for the day…
2:30 Doncaster – Betfred City Of Doncaster Handicap (Class 2) (3yo 0-100) – Intrusively 40/1 0.5pt EW 5 places
Territories colt INTRUSIVELY only has a Nottingham maiden win to his name at 1/8F, but that came after a length third in the G2 Richmond Stakes and before a three lengths fifth in the valuable sales race at this meeting last season.
He reappeared this season in a 0-105 at Newcastle when denied a run throughout, finishing on the bridle though only beaten three lengths in a race which has thrown up some strong form, not least Pocklington who just failed to land a six furlong handicap at the Ebor meeting. He then stepped up in trip at Haydock when beaten three lengths into fifth, a length ahead of the subsequent Golden Mile winner Rhoscolyn.
Intrusively was way out of his depth in the Lennox at Goodwood when always behind in rear, though he got back on track at Newcastle in a Racing League contest when unfavourably posted on the outside flank, only beaten two lengths.
The handicapper has relented throughout the season and he’s now 9lbs lower than his eye-catching reappearance, so now he drops back to his own age company for this first time this season at a course who showed up well at this season, he’s taken to come good off a mark 14lbs lower than his peak two year old form.
3:00 Doncaster – Betfred “The Classic Bookmaker” Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-105) – Purest Time 10/1 1pt EW 5 places
After two quiet runs in rear and being poorly positioned on the outer at Pontefract since joining Ian Williams, PUREST TIME has hit the crossbar on his latest two occasions and looks set for a return to the winners enclosure.
He bellied odds of 80/1 in a Racing League contest at Newcastle when not given an all that vigorous ride by Trevor Whelan with the progressive Tuco Salamanca getting first run, and he backed that effort up again at Goodwood when looking outpaced on a firmer surface and a sharper track, staying on late to finish second to progressive three year old Flash Harry.
Purest Time is still 8lbs lower than when joining the yard and he was placed in G3 company last year, so now there’s no 3yo’s to contend with given this is a 4yo+ handicap then this gelded son of Time Test looks set to run a big race for Saffie Osborne who landed the valuable sales race here on Thursday.
3:15 Curragh – Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes (Group 1) (3yo+) – Nighteyes 16/1 1pt EW 4 places
The British contingent have taken four of the last seven renewals of this contest and while the Australia mare Asfoora and the Amo pair of Bucanerto Fuerte and Arizona Blaze look to have strong chances to halt that progression, this side of the sea can take it once more.
NIGHTEYES was going to be a bet in the Sprint Cup at Haydock but she was unfortunately balloted out, however with plethora of pace angles here the drop to five furlongs on a stiff trap could see this race run to suit.
The daughter of Night Of Thunder rose through the handicapping ranks last season after a productive two year old campaign, landing a pair of fillies handicaps (including over C&D) before a length third in the Listed Scurry Stakes behind fillies rated 11 and 12lbs higher than her respectively.
She then backed up that effort with a convincing three length success in Listed company at Naas, and while her two subsequent efforts were way below form (lost action on season debut), she bounced right back to form to be beaten 3/4L by Frost At Dawn, who’s since hit the frame in the King Charles, the Qatar Stakes and the Nunthorpe
Nighteyes was then fourth at 100/1 in the QEII behind Lazzat and she proved that was no fluke when flying down the nearside in the G3 Summer Stakes to finish second to Sayidah Dariyan giving her 6lbs, who wasn’t disgraced when a four length seventh in the Nunthorpe next time out and had previously only been beaten a length in the Commonwealth Cup.
She only has four lengths to find with Bucanero Fuerte on their Phoenix form, and she perfectly drawn in stall five around all the main pace angles.
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