The ITV Racing cameras serve up six races on St Leger Day, with four from Doncaster – the track that hosts the final Classic of the season – and a brace of supporting heats from Chester.
All eyes are on Town Moor for our best bets, with the trio aiming to take down favourites in the Grade 2 Champagne Stakes (1.50), the Grade 2 Park Stakes (3.00) and the Leger itself (3.40).
ITV Racing Tips – Saturday September 14
1.50 Doncaster – Wolf Of Badenoch to win @ 10/3
3.00 Doncaster – Poet Master to win @ 6/1
3.40 Doncaster – Jan Breughel to win @ 4/1
Bet on the latest horse racing odds at Betzone
Wolf can gain compensation for Goodwood hard luck story
It was intriguing to see how the betting for the Grade 2 Champagne Stakes rearranged itself when ante-post favourite Aomori City wasn’t left in at the 48-hour declaration stage.
Both likely favourite Chancellor and impressive Newmarket maiden winner Righthere Rightnow head the betting in preference to WOLF OF BADENOCH, despite Richard Spencer’s Pinatubo colt finishing a draw-hampered second to the Aomori City in the Grade 2 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Granted a more favourable passage, the mount of Jamie Spencer may even have bested that now 111-rated rival. As things stand he’s the highest rated horse in the race (among those that have earned official ratings), 7lbs clear of Chancellor despite that one having had one more career outing.
Already ahead of his rivals in the view of the handicapper and potentially better than the result showed last time out, he can take the opener on Leger day with a typical amount of race-to-race improvement.
Tip: 1.50 Doncaster – Wolf Of Badenoch to win @ 10/3
Burke’s 7f Master generously priced for Grade 2 prize
Former 7f kingpin Kinross is once more favourite to add to his collection of seven wins at this specialist trip but Ralph Beckett’s admirable servant has yet to score this term and looks to be on the downgrade.
He’s readily taken on in a field full of improvers including three-year-olds Lead Artist, Lake Forest and Al Shabbab Storm. However, the clear selection sees us shun the Classic generation in favour of Karl Burke’s POET MASTER,who looks tailor made for this assignment.
The four-year-old has won four of his five runs on the expected good ground and five of his six runs at the 7f trip, including over course and distance on his sole previous visit to Town Moor. To top things off he’s 5lbs clear of the field on official ratings.
Tip: 3.00 Doncaster – Poet Master to win @ 6/1
Improver has pedigree and profile to overhaul Leger favourite
There can be no argument that Illinois represents a fair favourite in the St Leger. Aidan O’Brien’s first string is the only runner in the field to have won over 1m6f at graded level, having taken the Grade 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and also finished a neck second in the 1m5f Great Voltigeur at York.
Los Angeles, Illinois’ conqueror that day at the Knavesmire, just had too much class for his stablemate and there has to be a suspicion that he may be vulnerable again to one with more natural ability here.
If there’s an obvious candidate in the field, they come in the shape of another Ballydoyle stablemate JAN BRUEGHEL, who comes into the race undefeated in three career runs, all of which have come this term.
The son of Galileo out of a Danehill Dancer mare had the quality to get his nose in front in the shadow of the line over 1m2f in a Curragh Group 3 on his second start and never looked in any danger of being ground down over 1m4f when landing the Group 2 Gordon Stakes on at Goodwood last time out.
Bellum Justum, who tried in vain to reel him in on that occasion, franked the form nicely by scoring in the Grade 3 Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs on his next start.
The feeling is that there should be more to come from the lightly tried selection, who has the class and potential for improvement up in trip to overcome his more experienced Ballydoyle boat buddy.
