Mike Cattermole's preview & selections for day two of Doncaster's St Leger meeting
Top broadcaster Mike Cattermole marks your card for the second day of Doncaster's St Leger meeting, with Melodic Motion among his selections.
It's Ladies Day at Doncaster on Thursday and Town Moor will be humming!
It's largely about the fillies on the track too, where the feature race is a wide-open Group Two DFS Park Hill Stakes in which Dubka, Melodic Motion, Natural Scenery and Wild Irish Rose, second, third, fourth and well-held fifth in Goodwood’s Lily Langtry Stakes, take each other on again over half a furlong further.
It is not easy choosing between them.
Although there has been a drying wind on the track, there should still be enough ease in the ground for Dubka to show her best. In the aforementioned Lily Langtry, Sir Michael Stoute's filly looked to be in an unpromising position on the inside but managed to give herself every chance only for Endless Time to mow her down.
Natural Scenery reversed the form pretty convincingly in the Ebor when third, eight places ahead of Dubka. The Godolphin filly acts on any ground and has been very consistent this summer, including finishing runner-up in the Northumberland Plate.
Perhaps Melodic Motion has the improvement in her to come out on top this time, though.
Ralph Beckett's filly reminds me of Simple Verse who also improved massively through her three-year-old summer before winning the Leger. Melodic Motion, a daughter of Nathaniel, won off 78 at Pontefract in May and then followed up at Goodwood and Newmarket before her close third at Goodwood in the Lily Langtry where she improved again and showed she can handle soft.
Her stablemate Alyssa is arguably better on quicker ground but she does handle good to soft and comes here on the back of a very good third at Sandown last time.
Nyaleti steps up in trip for the Group Two William Hill May Hill Stakes and has a little to prove after a disappointing run in the Prix Morny last time.
However, she had impressed Ryan Moore when winning the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot in July, perhaps significantly on good to soft, and there will be many prepared to give her another chance.
She has to be respected but is passed over a little reluctantly in favour of Laurens who was runner-up to an outstanding-looking filly in the Prix du Calvados at Deauville last time.
The winner, Polydream, looked in a class of her own that day and could be very special but I loved the way that Laurens kept battling on over that seven furlong trip and upping her to a mile is going to suit her well (certainly on pedigree).
In the end, she was a clear second in France and among those behind her was Capomento, five lengths away in fourth. On her previous start, Capamento was beaten a nose by Tajaanus in Listed company at Sandown with Billesdon Brook close by in third.
The most valuable race is the £300,000 Weatherbys Racing Bank Stakes for two-year-olds and it is hard to choose between Tangled and Great Prospector who only had a neck between them in the sales race at York over half a furlong shorter.
Great Prospector gave the impression that he was not completely comfortable dropping back in trip at York, having run so well over further (7f) before in Group company. He might get his revenge in a race where the others have to improve a lot to have a say.
Hoofalong may have top weight in the opening DFS Silk Series Handicap but this is a drop in grade for him and he has now become well handicapped. He ran well at York last time.
Mick Easterby has put granddaughter Jo Mason up and so long as he gets away from the gates ok (he usually gives trouble) he ought to go close. I see there is money for him already.
Mike Cattermole's Doncaster Selections
Click on each horse to back with it Sky Bet
- 1.20 HOOFALONG
- 1.50 SILVER STARLIGHT
- 2.25 LAURENS
- 3.00 MELODIC MOTION
- 3.35 GREAT PROSPECTOR
- 4.05 DARK RED
- 4.35 WHAT A HOME
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