Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Jel Pepper stands out at the weights
The Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes (13:50) at Doncaster on Thursday is a very valuable sales race for juveniles, worth just over £216,000 to the winner, and it is the Oliver Cole-trained Jel Pepper who stands out on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
He created a good impression when making a winning debut at Goodwood in June, justifying favouritism in style as he readily quickened clear in the closing stages, never giving his backers much to worry about.
Jel Pepper was fast tracked into pattern company the following month and wasn’t disgraced finishing third, especially considering he showed signs of immaturity beforehand, a bit coltish and generally geed up.
Admittedly, he failed to meet market expectations in a sales race at the Curragh last time, but he still looked rough around the edges on that occasion, showing signs of greenness under pressure, though still faring best of those who were drawn low.
Jel Pepper carries just 8 stone 8 lbs in this contest and stands out at the weights on Timeform adjusted ratings – she’s at least 6lb clear of his rivals.
Moon Target sets the standard in May Hill
It looks a good renewal of the Betfred May Hill Stakes (14:25) at Doncaster, but the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Moon Target looks the one to beat.
She is from an excellent Cheveley Park family – her dam is a half-sister to high-class Inspiral, who won this race in 2021 – and proved herself to be more precocious than many two-year-olds from this yard when making a winning debut at Newmarket in July.
That performance was supported by a good timefigure – the form is also working out – and she improved to score by seven and a half lengths under a penalty at Yarmouth next time.
Moon Target met with defeat for the first time in the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood last time, but she started a strong favourite that day, and still looked rough around the edges, while she didn’t appear to handle the idiosyncratic track as well as he had straight courses on her first two starts.
Therefore, she should be seen to much better effect on the straight course at Doncaster, and any ease in the ground shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience given she’s by Cracksman.
Ground has come in Danielle’s favour
The ground at the time of writing at Doncaster is described as good, good to soft in places, but with rain forecast throughout Wednesday and into the night, it has the potential to worsen, and that will suit the claims of Danielle in the Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes (15:00).
She has just one success to her name, which came in a soft-ground novice over a mile and a quarter at Wetherby in April last year, emphatically by 12 lengths, and she started favourite for the Lingfield Oaks Trial next time on the back of that impressive display.
Danielle finished runner-up in Group 3 and listed events (both in heavy ground) later that season, and she ran a cracker when runner-up to promising three-year-old Waardah in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on her belated return last month.
She looked in great shape beforehand and was well suited by the longer trip, reeled in only close home. Danielle confirmed herself a smart filly on that occasion and, totally unexposed at this trip, she seems sure to run a big race with conditions in her favour.
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