The four-day St Leger Festival begins at Doncaster on Thursday, with two Group 2 events – the May Hill Stakes and the Park Hill Stakes.
In the 1m Group 2 May Hill Stakes (3:00), Darnation is a warm favourite for the Karl Burke team who secured juvenile Group 1 glory with Fallen Angel at the Curragh on Sunday. They are operating at a strike rate of 24% from the last fourteen days and will be represented by this daughter of Too Darn Hot, who secured a valuable Group 3 victory in late August. Although the filly was comfortably beaten on her debut at Haydock Park, she relished the softer conditions when taking a Thirsk novice stakes by ten lengths subsequently. Darnation faced soft ground again when stepped up in class to the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood and she produced another comfortable success, hitting the front with less than a furlong to go and pulling clear of the second-placed Carla's Way. With rain set to hit Town Moor over the coming days, the filly is likely to get her ideal conditions and may prove difficult to beat.
Ollie Sangster's Romanova showed considerable improvement from debut to second start and is well-supported in the market. She started 80/1 at Sandown on her first racecourse outing and pulled like a train, failing to get involved in the race. In comparison, the Golden Horn filly was very professional at Salisbury subsequently, dictating the race from the front before pulling clear to score by seven-and-a-half lengths. She is still learning and breeding would probably suggest the filly will make a better three-year-old.
At the current price of 7/1, Andrew Balding's See The Fire is probably the value bet in the race. She is an impeccably bred individual, out of Arabian Queen who famously defeated Golden Horn in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York. She showed a professional attitude when scoring by one-and-a-half lengths on debut at Newmarket's July course and the form has stacked up very well, with the second-placed filly Heartfullofstars winning on her next outing and the third and fourth-placed horses subsequently placing again. She is entitled to progress and although the daughter of Sea The Stars appears to be a candidate for the Oaks next season based on breeding, she has shown enough speed to be effective here.
WIN: SEE THE FIRE
Stamina will be put to the test in the 1m6½f Group 2 Park Hill Fillies Stakes (3:35) with Sumo Sam heading the current market. The filly received an excellent ride from jockey Tom Marquand when taking the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood, dictating terms from the front and pulling clear to win by eight-and-a-half lengths. The winning margin was probably flattering – Marquand achieved a similar feat aboard Quickthorn in the Group 1 Goodwood Cup at the same meeting – but it was clear that the daughter of Nathaniel relished the heavy going and stamina test. With rain forecast, she may encounter similar conditions and the extra half-furlong should not pose an issue.
Tom Marquand rides Golden Lyra for William Haggas, who is operating at a 20% strike rate from the last fourteen days. The four-year-old has only been seen three times on the track this year, but shaped with promise when second behind Melo Melo in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone at Deauville in mid-August. The form received a boost over the weekend with Melo Melo only denied a short neck into second in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille behind Warm Heart. It will be Golden Lyra's first attempt over 1m6f but she has proven form in testing conditions.
The beautifully bred Boogie Woogie is out of Irish Oaks winner Seventh Heaven and also tries the distance for the first time. She has been in and out of form this season, well-beaten in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary before placing a good second in the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont. Although the three-
year-old's recent eleven length defeat in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes would be a concern, she may find improvement over the longer trip.
WIN: BOOGIE WOOGIE
RACING & SPORT SELECTIONS
RACE 1: RATHBONE
RACE 2: GRANNY BUDGIE
RACE 3: DRAGON LEADER
RACE 4: SEE THE FIRE
RACE 5: BOOGIE WOOGIE
RACE 6: KINGFISHER KING
RACE 7: CITY STREAK
RACE 8: SPANISH BLAZE
