Day Four Doncaster St Leger Festival Preview 2023

The first selection of the afternoon on Sunday from Doncaster comes in the 1m2f Class 5 Handicap and Ayyab looks a very interesting runner on handicap debut.

Needing his debut run at Yarmouth he learnt a lot for the experience and was stepped up to 8.5f at Nottingham and ran a much better race back in fourth less than three lengths behind the winner.

Dropped slightly to a mile at Newmarket when coming on again to finish just over a length back in third and then last time out back at Nottingham kept up his progression to finish fourth behind a nice type in King Lear for George Boughey.

Having ample experience in his four maiden runs and showing on the majority of those that he has been staying on at the line, the step up to 1m2f is sure to suit and off a mark of 75 handicapping could be more his bag.

One of our best chances of a winner on the afternoon comes in the Class 2 Handicap over seven furlongs with Nine Tenths for William Haggas looking a typical progressive type from this yard.

The filly has been seen three times during her short career, making her juvenile debut last term on heavy ground at Doncaster when finishing fourth and keeping on all the way to the line, looking like a big eye-catcher.

Improving for that first experience she then went to Newcastle on her final start as a two year old when getting off the mark in taking style.

Returning this season at Windsor still over 6f, she picked up from where she left off by making it back to back wins in a decent Novice Stakes beating two decent types for George Boughey.

Stepping up to 7f on handicap debut should be no issue with the way she finishes her races and a mark of 91 could be lenient with her being expected to turn into a better horse than a handicapper.

Handles the track well from her debut performance.

A quirky race on day four of the meeting is the Legends Classified Stakes over a mile and the horse we have gone for is the Richard Hannon trained Oh Herberts Reign with now trainer Adrian Nicholls taking the ride.

Oh Herberts Reign has been an up and down horse for the inform Richard Hannon but does hold C&D form having won off a mark of 86 on soft ground back in 2021.

Dropping down the handicap mark ever since, especially this season he was last seen running off a mark of 64 at Wolves when going down by a short head in a Class 6 Handicap.

Raised 2lb by the handicapper for that event and getting back to a C&D he has previously won over gives him a better chance than most.

The feature race of the afternoon on Sunday is the Group Three Sceptre Fillies' Stakes over 7f and we are giving a chance to two runners at each way prices.

The first is the William Haggas trained Queen Aminatu who has threatened to be a really nice horse on numerous occasions during her career starting in 2022 when finishing her season with two nice wins at Lingfield and Deauville at Listed level.

This term she picked up from where she left off landing a hat-trick in good style at Newcastle in the All-Weather Fillies' And Mares Championships Conditions Stakes.

Sent to the Curragh after that on soft ground in the Group Three Athasi Stakes she was backed into favouritism but disappointed only beating one home.

Heading back to Lingfield she got back on track by finishing a good third to Sacred in the Group Three Chartwell Fillies' Stakes.

Upped in class at Royal Ascot in the Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes she underperformed again, but last time out at Chelmsford she had a perfect prep for this event when a close second in the Listed Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes.

She is up and down with her form and does step back up to Group Three level but if putting it all together is a classy horse on her day that can hit the frame.

At a slightly shorter price but one that could equally hit the frame is the Sir Michael Stoute trained Potapova who got back on track last time out and could build on that here.

A horse that seems to do her best work at this time of year when last season getting back to winning ways at Sandown in the Group Three Atalanta Stakes in good fashion.

Finishing the season in a tough Group Two when running a fair race back in fourth, she has found it tough going at the start of this term having been pulled up on debut on heavy ground and then put up two fifths at Epsom in the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes and Group Two Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Last seen getting back on track in the race she won last year when a good third behind the talented Heredia, if running to the same form she will go close again, being the most experienced horse in the field.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon comes in the Listed Scarbrough Stakes over 5f and with only four runners going to post, Raasel could have the class edge.

A horse that has been a superstar for connections running well throughout his career in valuable handicap events and nice Listed events including the Achilles Stakes at Haydock and finishing second in the Group Two King George Qatar Stakes last year.

Been used frequently this term he has been up and down in his runs but of late has bounced back to form in a big way finishing third in the Group Two King George Qatar Stakes behind Highfield Princess and then last time out got back to winning ways at Haydock in a competitive Class 2 Handicap off a mark of 107.

He seems to have been placed perfectly in this four runner Conditions Stakes being the highest rated in the field and at the moment seems to be in the form of his life.

The final event of the afternoon on Sunday is the Class 5 Handicap over 5.5f and The Dunkirk Lads is very interesting if being able to repeat his last run.

Dropping down the handicap having put in some lesser runs, last time out he got back to form in a big way when a neck second to the talented Jordan Electrics, who has since gone to Southwell in the Racing League and finished a good fifth in a much better Class 4 Handicap.

The Dunkirk Lads has been upped 2lb for that narrow second and having won at Beverley earlier this season off a similar mark he can go well again.