Chester Cup winner Montaly
Chester Cup winner Montaly

Mike Cattermole's preview & selections for day two of Doncaster's St Leger meeting


Top broadcaster Mike Cattermole marks your card for the third day of Doncaster's St Leger meeting, with Montaly fancied in the feature.

If you were to create a list of under-appreciated racehorses this season, then Montaly would surely be near the top.

Andrew Balding’s stayer has made big strides forward in this campaign without getting the plaudits he deserves so maybe he can put that right by adding the Group Two Doncaster Cup to his haul on Friday.

With Big Orange et al absent, this is a slightly sub-standard renewal but Montaly has already grabbed the Chester Cup over this trip in May and then improved again to land the Lonsdale Cup over two miles at York last month, when beating Dartmouth by a pixel.

Staying is very much his game and going back up another quarter mile here is going to suit him and he is taken to confirm the York form with Sheikhzayedroad, High Jinx and Thomas Hobson who were fourth, fifth and seventh respectively, but are all 3lb better off.

It won’t be easy to keep Sheikhzayedroad, in particular, at bay as he was only two and a half lengths behind at York and returns to the scene of his brave win here 12 months ago.

David Simcock’s veteran then went on to win the Long Distance Cup at Ascot and if he can return to that sort of form, he is going to take all the beating. But he has been a bit below that level this term and Montaly is the upwardly mobile one.

The three-year-old Desert Skyline is an interesting contender and he looks as though an extreme test will suit him. He has lots of useful form in the bag already, including third in the Goodwood Cup and a second to Raheen House at Newmarket. Is he quite good enough, though?


Mike Cattermole's Selections

1.20 ZAAKI, 1.50 TALAAYEB, 2.25 HEARTACHE, 3.00 TIME TO STUDY, 3.35 MONTALY, 4.05 GHAIYYATH, 4.35 MUNTADAB, 5.10 SWILLY SUNSET


The clash between the flying juveniles Havana Grey and Heartache in the Group Two Wainwrights Flying Childers Stakes should be a highlight of the week.

Karl Burke has an amazingly strong team of juveniles, highlighted once more when Laurens took the May Hill on Thursday.

His Havana Grey, winner of the Molecomb at Goodwood, stepped up to six furlongs in the Prix Morny last time only to find his stablemate Unfortunately a length and a quarter too good. He is all speed and back to the minimum trip, he is going to take some catching.

That said, Heartache also came up against Unfortunately in the Prix Robert Papin before that and she succumbed by only half a length.

At the time, it looked a bit disappointing after her brilliant win in the Queen Mary Stakes but the form stacks up and indeed, she may have had an excuse that day as she returned home lame behind.

A peak-form Heartache is therefore taken to pick off Havana Grey close home.

The Group Three Japan Racing Association Sceptre Stakes looks tight. I do like Unforgettable Filly but she is penalised 5lb for her German Guineas win and was also two places and several lengths behind in sixth to fourth-placed Talaayeb in our 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Talaayeb is bred to stay quite well but when stepped up at Newbury she patently failed to get home. Dropped back to seven furlongs in the Group Three City Of York Stakes last month, she returned to her best to beat a smart field containing both older and male horses.

The one unknown is that she has yet to tackle a soft surface but I am prepared to take that chance. There are certainly no worries for Pirouette on the score as she bolted up on soft ground in Germany last time and on that form has an each-way chance.

Time To Study is taken to come out on top in a disappointing turnout for the William Hill Mallard Handicap. This is a quick reappearance after his third in heavy ground at Haydock last Saturday but he has a progressive profile.

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