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Sam King has tipped 5/4, 11/2 and 15/2 winners over the last week and returns with four selections on Thursday.
Doncaster's four-day St Leger festival gets underway this afternoon and I'm expecting a David O'Meara-trained three-year-old to take plenty of stopping later on the card.
Darnation can kick us off with a winner in the Betfred May Hill Stakes at 3.00, with Karl Burke's filly seemingly having plenty in favour on the Town Moor.
It was a pleasing debut she produced when third at Haydock back in July and she seemed to relish cut in the ground when bounding clear for a wide-margin ten-length success at Thirsk on her next outing. The form took a small boost with the distant runner-up scoring next-time-out and she hit the line in the manner of a useful filly that day.
Suspicions she may prove well above average that day were duly backed up when landing the Group 3 Prestige Fillies' Stakes at Goodwood last month and once again, Karl Burke's daughter of Too Darn Hot ploughed through testing conditions with absolutely no bother.
It's probably fair to say she's not the flashiest of sorts but what you can guarantee is she will be doing all her best work late on at Doncaster this afternoon. A strong stayer on soft ground is likely what will be required to land this Group 2 prize and with question marks surrounding the conditions for plenty of her opposition, she looks like a rock-solid betting proposition at the general 11/8 available.
Selection: Darnation – General 11/8
Attentions turn to handicap company just over an hour later and I'd expect the Hippo Bamboo Wipes Handicap at 4.10 to be a race worth following over time.
It's quite extraordinary to see 18lb between the top and bottom weights in this three-year-old handicap and with testing conditions on the Town Moor almost certain, my eyes are drawn towards those at the lower end of the scale.
David O'Meara's Iron Lion has run well in all five outings to date but seemed to take his form to the next level when routing his rivals in a course and distance novice event on soft ground last time. That was his first start with cut underfoot and he certainly looked to relish the testing conditions. There's also plenty of substance to the form with the third horse, Anjo Bonita, scoring twice subsequently, including off a mark of 76 last-time-out whilst the fourth-placed horse, Jeff Koons, produced an excellent effort when going down narrowly at Ascot at the weekend.
An opening mark of 84 is no gimme in a contest like this but he's open to plenty of further progress and should give a really bold sight carrying just 8st 5lb on his handicap bow.
Selection: Iron Lion – General 4/1
I would have been tempted to play both Harappan and City Streak in the Winners Wear Skopes Menswear Handicap at 4.45, but with the former now a non-runner, the latter is now the sole selection.
The Andrew Balding-trained inmate gained a well-deserved second success of the season with a hard-fought victory at Ascot last time. His form figures on soft ground are particularly solid (3211) and although he'll likely need more this time around, it's certainly possible he could have further progress in the tank.
A career-high rating of 91 definitely requires more but with such solid form figures on soft ground, that strong Ascot performance fresh in the memory, and proven course form, Andrew Balding's contender looks to hold every chance of following up off a 4lb higher mark.
Selection: City Streak – General 5/1
Away from Doncaster, Chelmsford hosts eight races on the all-weather this evening and Looby should have little issue following up her recent success in the Cruz Campo Nursery at 5.30.
The betting suggested that Charlie Hills' runner would take a decent step forward when switched to handicap company at Brighton ten days ago and she duly obliged.
The daughter of Havana Grey travelled well before picking up smartly to score comfortably over the five-and-a-half-furlong trip that day. She should prove equally effective on an artificial surface this evening and with a 6lb penalty putting her 3lb well-in at the weights, I'm surprised to see her not shorter in the betting at the current prices.
Selection: Looby – General 11/8
