Doncaster St. Leger meeting: day three

The St. Leger continues today at Doncaster with two more grpup races. The going is soft, as it is all over at present. The card opens with the Flying Childers Stakes for 2yo´s over 5 furlongs at 14.35 with 12 runners, including some of the fastest juveniles seen out this season. Senor Mirasol (Kevin Ryan/ Neil Callan) goes well on the soft and as a good winner in Ireland last time, while Danehill Destiny (William Haggas/ Johnny Murtagh) looked very smart in the first half od the season but ran below that form on fast ground in the summer. However the one to beat should be Karl Burke´s consistent Lord Shanakil (Fergus Sweeney?), who has not yet run a bad race and put up his best performance last time when third in the Prix Morny.

The Doncaster Cup over 2 1/4 miles is the last of the "Cup" races for out and out stayers and the soft ground shuld have quite an influence here. Finalmente (Simon Callaghan/ Tom Queally) was a narrow winner from Balkan Knight (David Elsworth/ Jimmy Fortune) and Royal and Regal (Michael Jarvis/ Neil Callan) at Sandown in May but the going was fast that day, and at today´s weights on this different ground the form is likely to be reversed. Royal and Regal loves this ground and the ex-French runner can score, but Aidan O´Brien´s rather inconsistent Honolulu (Johnny Murtagh) and Godolphin´s equally enigmatic Sagara (Frankie Dettori) would rate a big threat if on a going day. Let´s not forget that Honolulu started favourite for the St.Leger here last year, but was well beaten, while Sagara showed his best ever form when third in the "Arc". The conditions race for 3yo´s over a mile at 16.50 has only 5 runners, but is still an intriguing event. It sees the return of James Fanshawe´ s Spacious, not since out since finishing fourth to Lush Lashes at Royal Ascot; before that she was runner-up to Natagora in the 1,000 Guineas. Obviously those pieces of form would be enough for her to score here, but she has never run on ground as soft as this and it is not necessarily an advantage that regular jockey Jamie Spencer, who got on really well with her but is out of favour with the owners, has been jocked off in favour of Robert Winston. Godolphin´s Alexandros (Frankie Dettori) is a credible danger.

Betting forecast:
1.Race: Lord Shanakill - Senor Mirasol - Madame Trop Vite
2.Race: Tropical Strait - Bollin Felix - Dzesmin
3.Race: Honolulu - Royal And Regal - Sagara
4.Race: La Brigitte - Tropical Paradise - Dove Mews
5.Race: Spacious - Alexandros - Alexander Castle
6.Race: Espiritu - Kite Wood - Golden Sword
7.Race: King Olav - Bajan Parkes - Kings Quay
8.Race: Mustaqer - Union Island - Headline Act