COMET TO FLY TO VICTORY

Although this is the second day of Doncaster's Leger Festival, it is the first day that Channel 4 are showing the racing from there. The races on offer today are very competitive and full of top quality horses with the Park Hill Stakes (2:40) and the Sceptre Stakes (2:10) being the showcase races where the females can strut their stuff.

The Park Hill Stakes should be dominated by the top two in the betting in my opinion. ARABIAN COMET has been running very well of late, including a second behind the game mare Missunited at Glorious Goodwood which was followed by another solid second at York's Ebor Festival. A replication of those runs will see her go mightily close again today. As for SEAL OR APPROVAL, a hugely average run in the Lancashire Oaks seemed to have been long forgotten with a third place behind two quality horses in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes next time out. That run suggested that she was coming back to her Group 1 winning best, she looks to be wound up nicely for this.

Arabian Comet (left of picture)

The Sceptre Stakes looks to be a massively competitive affair but despite this, the betting suggests it is a one horse race with Bragging. There is no doubting that she is a very good filly and she could prove to be very good but there are other good horses in this race so her price of 2/1 looks remarkably short. J WONDER is a horse who has done little wrong, including winning at Glorious Goodwood last time out. The apple of her trainer's (Brian Meehan) eye, she could be overpriced at 7's due to Bragging's appearance. Second behind her at Goodwood that day was MUTEELA, who also looks overpriced at 11's. She is a very consistent horse who looks sure to run another good race.

The big sales race (3:15) looks to be another solid race full of decent two year olds. Ryan Moore is an eye-catching booking aboard HEARTBREAK HERO implying that he may be good enough to make it three wins in a row. Although THE GREAT WAR has not lived up to his lofty promise at the start of the season, he has still proved himself to be a fairly good horse and today sees him face one of his easiest tasks in quite a while. He should be good enough to make his presence felt.

3:45- Despite ELHAAME winning a weaker race than this last time out, the handicapper has not been too harsh on him and he looks capable of running well again today. MANGE ALL looked as though a step up in trip would be ideal based on his win on King George day at Ascot last time out. Even though Long Cross is the favourite, Mange All is the best of the three year olds for me given his superior experience on a racetrack.

5:00- This maiden looks quite smart and it would seem as though that ones with racecourse experience has the upper hand. Providing that COMMEMORATIVE steps up as he should from his debut, he will go close whilst KING OF NORMANDY is an interesting horse for Richard Hannon based on his sole run to date at Deauville.

Enjoy your Thursday and the lovely weather, however late in the year it is...

Happy Punting!