Best bets for the horse racing Friday 13th September 2024

Friday is marketed as Betfred Doncaster Cup Day with the stayers, and some old favourites, taking centre stage in the afternoon. The juvenile speedsters are also out for the Flying Childers on a day of extremes on Town Moor. Just the one winner from my three bets on Thursday, hopefully I have a couple of winners up my sleeve for Friday which I have backed overnight as I suspect they will get gambled.

Best bets for the horse racing at Doncaster the St Leger Festival

Symbol Of Honour was entered in the G.3 6f Unibet Sirenia Stakes at Kempton Park last weekend but missed that engagement to come for the Listed 7f Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes at 2.25. Sixth in the G.2 6f Coventry Stakes at Ascot when last seen he had won a 6f Maiden Stakes at Lingfield prior to that running on strongly there to go clear of the opposition. Charlie Appleby said this week “Symbol Of Honour is stepping up to seven furlongs, which is unknown territory, but we are hoping that it can open a few more doors. We feel that the trip should be fine, and he goes to Doncaster in good order. He has been gelded since the Coventry Stakes, while the form of that race looks to be working out fine. He should be very competitive if he stays the seven.” His sire was all about speed but there’s plenty of stamina on the dam side and he should stay. I am on at 100-30. Sandown debut winner Jonquil is the one that could be anything as they say. It’s hard to know what he beat that day but he showed a willing attitude to get up.

The 5f Group Two Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes at 3.00 has twelve quick two-year-olds going to post. I tipped Aesterius for the G.3 5f Molecomb Stakes when second to Big Mojo. I thought he was perhaps a little unlucky there and he duly won the 5f G.3 Prix D'arenberg Stakes at Deauville at the beginning of this month. Tropical Storm was in front of Aesterius in the G2 5f Norfolk Stakes at the Royal meeting when second before not getting home in the 6f G.2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood in August. Back to the minimum trip for the Listed Roses Stakes at York last month he registered his first victory holding off Magnum Force at the finish. The second was out the back early and was left too much to do late coming through traffic, finishing strongly but not quite getting to Tropical Storm who had been prominent throughout. If Colin Keane gets Magnum Force in a better spot early here, the Irish raider will be there or thereabouts at the finish you’d think. By top-class two-year-old sprinter Mehmas, out of a winning sprint mare, whose family is full of speed, he is bred for the job and can gain his first black-type in this. I am on at 11-4.

The 2m2f Group Two Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes has just the six lining-up with other big staying events this weekend meaning some of the usual suspects aren’t here. That said you can make a case for five of the six I would suggest and as much as it should be a good race but I simply can’t decide on one so I have left the race alone. There are plenty of opportunities to have a bet this weekend and I am not about to back one for the sake of backing one.

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