Betfred has been named the sponsor of a third British Classic after sealing a new multi-year deal to back the St Leger at Doncaster.
The bookmaker was last month unveiled as the new backer of both the Derby and Oaks at Epsom, with Fred Done’s firm adding the world’s oldest Classic to its portfolio in a partnership announced on Thursday.
The four-day Betfred St Leger Festival will run from September 14-17 inclusive, with the title sponsor supporting a number of the key races across the meeting including the May Hill Stakes, Doncaster Cup, Champagne Stakes and Park Stakes.
Doncaster was granted city status as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 which will be commemorated with the renamed Betfred City of Doncaster Handicap, run on the final day of the fixture.
Having first been run in 1776, the St Leger is the final leg of the Triple Crown, with no horse since the great Nijinsky in 1970 following up 2000 Guineas and Derby wins with victory on Town Moor.
Done, said: “To have the Betfred name attached to the St Leger Festival is not just a sponsorship but a privilege. I am proud to be associated with the world’s oldest Classic which is obviously synonymous with great horses like Triple Crown winner Nijinsky, Dunfermline for the Queen and Oh So Sharp for Sir Henry Cecil.”
Martin Cruddace, chief executive of Doncaster’s owner Arena Racing Company, added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Betfred as the headline sponsors of the St Leger Festival and of the Betfred St Leger itself.
“Fred Done and his team have long been keen supporters of British racing, and the inclusion of this historic race meeting into their sponsorship portfolio is another indication of their commitment to the sport.
“The whole sport is extremely fortunate to benefit from working in partnership with Fred and his team and we very much look forward to a fantastic Betfred St Leger Festival in September.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2.68681061-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-05-04 12:42:312023-05-04 12:42:31Betfred unveiled as new St Leger sponsor
David Menuisier is awaiting the handicapper’s assessment of Migration’s victory in the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday before considering plans for the rest of the season.
The burden of top-weight proved no barrier to success for the seven-year-old in the traditional feature on the first day of the British Flat season as he was produced with a withering late run by Benoit De La Sayette to emerge triumphant.
The win came off a mark of 107 and Menuisier will be better placed to scour the programme book for future options once the assessor has had his say on Tuesday.
“He has come out of the race well and all is good,” said the Sussex-based Frenchman.
“We’ll see what the handicapper does, but he is seven and doesn’t need to run 15 times this year.
“It’s all up in the air really. I think there’s a decent chance handicaps will be out, but I can’t completely discard races like the Hunt Cup (at Royal Ascot).”
While Migration’s Lincoln success came over a mile in testing conditions, he has previously won over a mile and a quarter on good ground at York, suggesting he is not reliant on soft ground.
Menuisier added: “I think he’s quite versatile. I actually thought in the past he was probably better over further than a mile, but obviously that was a career-best at the weekend.
“Maybe the handicapper was on holiday and didn’t see him! It goes without saying handicaps are going to be a long shot now and he might have to go to the next level in a Listed race or a Group Three.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.71593812-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-03 16:56:452023-04-03 16:56:45Migration campaign hinges on handicap mark
Robyn Brisland may consider a trip to France with his Brocklesby hero Doddie’s Impact ahead of a planned appearance at Royal Ascot.
The Pearl Secret colt, who was bought for just £6,000 in October, displayed a willing attitude to win the first two-year-old race of the season at Doncaster on Saturday – knuckling down to get the better of 3-1 favourite and €250,000 purchase Valadero.
Brisland is keen to step his charge up in trip on his next start as he plots a route to a possible tilt to the Royal meeting in June.
“He’s come out of it well, he’s very tough – he could almost go again today,” said the trainer.
“We were hopeful going into the race, but you can never be a certainty with a load of two-year-olds running in a straight line.
“We’ve got to be looking that way (Royal Ascot) and in the meantime I’d like to step him up to six furlongs. I haven’t got anything in mind at the minute, but we might end up going abroad if there’s a race for him.
“The prize-money is always good if you go abroad, so we might look at going to France.”
While his Royal Ascot target will likely depend on how he fares on his next start, Brisland currently views the Coventry Stakes as the most suitable target.
He added: “I don’t think the Windsor Castle would be any good for him as they’d go too quick, so I think it would have to be the Coventry, but I’m sure there’ll be a few aeroplanes out before then!”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.71591829-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-03 14:48:022023-04-03 14:48:02Brisland plotting Royal Ascot route for Doddie’s Impact
Theoryofeverything could be set for bigger and better things following an impressive debut at Doncaster.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt is by Frankel out of the Group One-winning mare Persuasive and was bought for 325,000 guineas as a yearling.
Sent off the 100-30 second favourite in the hands of Rab Havlin on Town Moor, he looked to have his dam’s love of soft ground, as following a slow start, he ate up the ground to join the leaders approaching a furlong out before scorching clear to register a taking six-length success.
Connections are now likely to search for similar conditions for his next outing, with the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury on April 22 mooted as a possible option.
“Considering he had quite a bad break and from where he ended up, he had quite a lot of ground to make up. He relished the ground conditions and I suspect the trainer will try to find somewhere with similar ground for his next start,” said Ted Voute, racing advisor for Theoryofeverything’s owner Prince Faisal.
“That will probably be Newbury I would say, as that often comes up softer than Newmarket and I suspect we will look for a spot with similar ground.
“I hope the trainer might consider the Greenham. I think that might be the logical next step and there’s also maybe a couple of races in France where we might have a chance of the ground coming up a bit softer.”
He went on: “We would have to supplement into a Classic, but his next run might show us a bit more and whether that is worthwhile or not.
“Otherwise the Prix Jean Prat and St James’s Palace Stakes are the other two we might look at, but they are in drier weather times and it could be the case we might have to hang on to him for the back-end and trying to find some Group Ones and keep entering until we get the right ground. He looks exciting.”
Kevin Ryan’s Aleezdancer (9-2 favourite) landed a gamble in good style in the Mental Health Awareness Handicap, relishing the testing conditions to win by a cosy two and a half lengths.
“The ground is vital to him,” said Ryan.
“We had a very frustrating year with him last year, albeit he won something – every time we had him ready for something the ground had gone.
“He’s just very effective on that surface and we’re delighted that he got his head in front again.
“We’ll have to see what the handicapper does and he’ll have to take into consideration he has handled this ground better than most. So hopefully he is not too harsh on him and we’ll have to wait for similar conditions again. The ground will dictate where he runs.”
Charlie Fellowes’ Gorak (9-2 favourite) was equally impressive when obliging favouritism in the Music Live @ Doncaster Racecourse Handicap and there was no catching Bucephalus (12-1) in the Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap on his first start for Neil Mulholland.
Well-known fundraiser Jack Lander secured his second victory in the saddle when partnering Liam Bailey’s Clansman (15-2) to victory in the opening Flat Is Back At Doncaster Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, while there was also an easy success for David Evans’ There’s The Door (15-2) in the Autism In Racing Handicap.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.70338315-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-02 17:56:552023-04-02 17:56:55Theoryofeverything impresses on Doncaster debut
Pam Sly is no stranger to pulling the odd rabbit out of a hat and she managed it again when Astral Beau bolted up in the Pertemps Network Doncaster Mile.
With morning favourite Simon and Ed Crisford’s unbeaten Poker Face a non-runner due to the testing conditions, the Listed contest had an open look to it, but Astral Beau was sent off a bigger price than all bar one of the others runners at 9-1.
Hollie Doyle set the tempo on Tempus, but looked a sitting duck as Tacarib Bay loomed up on the outside entering the final two furlongs.
However, Rob Hornby had every move covered on the filly Astral Beau, who won three of her final four outings last season.
Despite that progress, she was still only rated 86, by some way the lowest in the race, but some bold thinking by Sly paid off and she now has another very valuable filly on her hands given she is from the same family as her 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa.
Hornby clearly was not thinking of any further handicaps, driving her out to win by four lengths from Brunch.
“I expected it to be honest but you probably think I’m big-headed in saying that,” said Sly.
“She improved so much at the end of last season and she loved the soft ground.
“The ground is important but we thought she’d improved at home. Shane Kelly had been in a couple of times to ride her and said as much.
“I don’t know what we’ll do now, we’ve nowhere else to run her as all the other races were 0-100 or something so I thought we may as well come here and have a go – and it’s paid off.”
Hornby said: “That was remarkable as nothing went to plan really. I was supposed to get cover but I got left on the wing and I was always over-racing.
“When you have a horse like her who goes on this ground it makes such a difference – it felt like good ground on her.
“She improved a lot last year and to beat horses rated so superior to her, she must have a bright future.”
Benoit De La Sayette produced top-weight Migration with a perfectly-timed challenge to claim his second victory in the Pertemps Network Lincoln at Doncaster.
Previously successful in the traditional feature on the first day of the British Flat season aboard Haqeeqy in 2021, De La Sayette was crowned champion apprentice last term and it is not hard to see why.
Migration, trained by David Menuisier, won valuable handicaps at Goodwood and York in the summer of 2021 but only made it to the track three times last season.
Making his first appearance since finishing fourth in a Listed event at Newmarket in October, the seven-year-old was an 18-1 chance for his Town Moor return and benefited from the coolest of cool rides from his young rider.
Entering the final furlong it looked like proven mud lover Baradar might emerge triumphant after travelling smoothly into contention, with the well supported Awaal also right in the mix.
But having raced at the rear of the field for much of the straight-mile contest, Migration powered home against the stands’ rail and had a length- and-a-quarter in hand over Awaal at the line.
De La Sayette said: “He’s a horse that likes to come from off the pace. He came from off the pace in the Balmoral on Champions Day but I could never find the gaps. He finished off that race really strong, so we thought we’d try the same tactics today.
“The Lincoln is the Lincoln and it is very hard to find the gaps, so I’m very happy I found them at the right time. He really ran on in the last furlong and hit the line strong.
“To carry top-weight in that ground, it was a great performance. I ride a lot for Mr Menuisier, we have a good connection, and he told me to just do the same as at Ascot, as he just loves to come from off the pace. Luckily he was right.
“Last year went so well for me and to win this again, two years after winning on Haqeeqy right at the start of my career, is a fairytale.”
Menuisier said: “Not many top weights who are seven win the Lincoln but he’s so lightly raced, he doesn’t have much mileage.
“He’s been giving us the right signals all the way through so we were actually quite confident. He flies on this ground, anything from good to soft to heavy is absolutely fine.
“We’ll have to go into Pattern races now. He’s won that off 107 with a 3lb claim, he’ll be around 110 now, so I think that’s the end of handicaps and we’ll look at black type races – hopefully he can handle it.
“We’ll be patient anyway, because he’s very good fresh. He’s already made his money for this year and next – it’s a great way to start the season.”
Joint-trainer Simon Crisford said of the runner-up Awaal: “He’s run really well, I’m very happy with him. We’ve got a lovely horse for the rest of the season ahead of us and he likes that ground.
“It’s the name of the game and you’ve got to take it (defeat) on the chin.
“We might step him up in distance.”
Of the third-placed Baradar, trainer George Boughey said: “I’m very happy, he’s run a big race and I think seven furlongs is his ideal trip.
“He bolted up here over seven on this ground. Kevin (Stott) said he just didn’t quite see it out as well as possibly stouter-bred horses.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.71593993-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-01 16:28:052023-04-01 16:28:05Migration provides De La Sayette with second Lincoln success
Vadream made light work of the testing conditions at Doncaster to run out a decisive winner of the Pertemps Network Cammidge Trophy.
Fit from three runs on the all-weather, the Charlie Fellowes-trained mare was a 9-1 shot to strike Listed gold and claim her first victory since landing the Group Three Bengough Stakes at Ascot in the autumn of 2021.
After initially travelling strongly on the heels of the leaders, Vadream took over from the halfway stage and never really looked in any danger of being caught.
The further she went the further the five-year-old went clear and she was not hard pressed to pass the post with four and a half lengths in hand over Fast Response in the hands of Kieran Shoemark.
Fellowes said: “We ran her on ground that was too quick last season so we won’t be doing that again but what we did learn last year was that she always improves with racing.
“We gave her three runs on the all-weather before coming here. She loves soft ground and loves six furlongs and has always threatened to do something like that.
“Last year was frustrating with quick ground all summer but we know her a lot better this year, we’ll stick to cut in the ground and six furlongs is perfect.”
Considering future plans, the trainer added: “She’s in on All-Weather Finals Day and Newcastle probably is the only all-weather track you could get away with it and think you have a big chance. She is the sort of filly you can back up quickly and then she’d have a little break.
“She’ll have an entry at York in May (Duke of York Stakes) and she might get an entry in Ireland where they get cut in the ground. Hopefully we have a wet summer.
“The owner loves racing. A lot of people would have had her covered this year but he said he’d waited a long time for a filly like this and as long as she’s in good heart, kick on.”
Billy Loughnane has carried all before him on the all-weather circuit this winter and showed he is just as effective on turf by winning the first race of the new season on Doddie’s Impact at Doncaster.
The Pertemps Network EBF Brocklesby Stakes is the traditional curtain-raiser on Town Moor and attracted a field of 16 unraced juveniles, with €250,000 purchase Valadero the 3-1 market leader for last year’s winning owners Amo Racing.
Favourite backers looked sure to collect when Kevin Stott grabbed the initiative with two furlongs to run, but he understandably showed signs of greenness close home, allowing Doddie’s Impact a chance.
Trained by Robyn Brisland, the son of Pearl Secret is named in honour of the late Scottish Rugby Union legend Doddie Weir, with a percentage of prize money won going to MND charities, the disease which cruelly cut short Weir’s life.
Showing the tenacity his namesake was famous for, Doddie’s Impact (10-1) stuck to his task gamely to win by a neck.
Loughnane said: “It’s class. Mr Brisland had him in good shape. I’d been in during the week to have a sit on him and I thought he’d go close.
“I think he had a tough opponent today, but he knuckled down well and he wanted to win.
“I was riding without my claim in that race so it was brave of Mr Brisland to put me up.”
Mike Hocking, of Cross Channel Racing who part-own the winner, said: “We’re trying to raise money for the charity and what a story.
“It’s all about raising money and awareness for MND to try and find a cure.
“We are donating 50 per cent of the prize money to the charity and we have nine other yearlings so anyone can get involved. I can’t tell you if this is the best one though!”
Brisland, meanwhile, has loftier in targets in mind for Doddie’s Impact, saying: “It’s an amazing story and fingers crossed they can have a lot of luck.
“We can starting dusting off our top hats and go to Royal Ascot now.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.71591992-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-01 14:32:242023-04-01 14:32:24Loughnane stars as Doddie’s Impact bags Brocklesby
William Haggas goes in search of a record fifth Pertemps Network Lincoln on Saturday with Al Mubhir lining up at Doncaster for the Somerville Lodge handler.
Haggas is locked with Jack Robinson on four victories apiece in the season-opening handicap, but appears to have an outstanding chance of becoming the outright leading trainer in the one-mile event with the likely favourite, who will be the mount of Andrea Atzeni.
An easy winner in heavy ground at Haydock at the back-end of last season, the four-year-old has undergone wind surgery ahead of his reappearance, with Haggas expecting conditions to be in his favour.
He said: “Al Mubhir did well last year. He is a nice horse who won on heavy ground at Haydock and the ground looks like it is coming right for him. He’s pretty fit and all being well, he should run a nice race.
“I thought he was going to be a good horse. He won his maiden very nicely at Newmarket as a two-year-old and then I thought he was going to be a nice three-year-old.
“Then he was very disappointing. He was pretty unruly as well and lost his way a bit.
“But he finished the season well. I don’t know how good he is, but he’s always been a nice horse and I think he’s in good shape.”
Haggas will also be represented in the race by Montassib, who was last seen finishing second to Wanees at Haydock in September.
The winner went up 3lb for that success and now races off a mark of 96, but trainer Charlie Hills is hopeful there is still improvement to come from the costly son of Le Havre.
“We’ve had this race in mind since his last run last year,” explained Hills.
“We are happy with him and he has form in soft ground which is great and I just feel that a nice, strongly-run mile, will suit him well.
“He’s a lightly-raced horse and still unexposed to what we think he could be, so hopefully he will run a decent race.”
Baradar made the perfect start to life with George Boughey when scoring over seven furlongs at Town Moor on debut for the Saffron House handler in November.
All three of the five-year-old’s victories have come with cut in the ground and connections are hoping he will relish testing conditions once more, stepping up to a mile.
“There’s obviously some nice horses in there lurking off good marks, but this has been the plan for our horse all along,” said Tom Pennington of Amo Racing.
“His three wins have come on soft and heavy ground, so the more rain the better for him.
“He’s in good form and has got good course form, finishing third in the Vertem Futurity as a two-year-old and won there at the backend of last year very impressively for George.
“He’s got the same draw as the winner came from last year (stall four), he’ll be ridden patiently and the ground will suit him.”
Another with both track and soft ground form to his name is Charlie Fellowes’ Atrium who was last seen striking over course and distance and now returns to South Yorkshire in search of a three-timer.
“He is in good order and has had a pretty clear run throughout the winter,” said Fellowes.
“This has been the plan since he got balloted out of the Balmoral and I’m pretty happy with him.
“It is in no doubt he is better with a bit of dig in the ground, but to win a Lincoln off 100 you have to be pretty much a Group horse and even though he was progressive last year, there’s no doubt he needs to take another step forward to be in that bracket.
“We hope he has taken that step forward and I’ve been delighted with his work. He’s never been a great work horse, but actually his work recently has been pretty good. It won’t take much for him to improve again.”
Second behind Atrium here in September was the thoroughly-consistent Empirestateofmind, who is one of two in the race for John Quinn and owner Ross Harmon along with stable stalwart Safe Voyage.
Quinn said: “Safe Voyage seems very well. He’s a 10-year-old now, but his last run was a very good run at Ascot in the big handicap and he still retains plenty of ability.
“Whether he can win a Lincoln at this stage I don’t know, but he’s fit and well and he’ll love the ground.
“Empirestateofmind is in good fettle as well. He had a good year last year and was touched off on his last run of the season at York.
“The handicapper put him up another 4lb for that and he’s gone up 7lb for finishing second three times in his last three runs. With that in mind I thought it would help to claim off him and your man (Taylor Fisher) is good value for his (5lb) claim I think.
“The horse is in good form, he’s fit and will like the ground.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2.70896643-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-03-31 16:38:082023-03-31 16:38:08Al Mubhir heads Haggas quest for fifth Lincoln success
Valadero has some big boots to fill as he bids to provide prominent owners Amo Racing with back-to-back victories in the Pertemps Network EBF Brocklesby Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday.
The five-furlong contest for unraced two-year-olds is the traditional curtain-raiser to the British turf Flat season and was won in brilliant style 12 months ago by Persian Force.
The Richard Hannon-trained colt went on to carry the purple and white silks of Kia Joorabchian’s group to big-race success in the Group Two July Stakes before being placed in three successive Group Ones and finishing fourth at the Breeders’ Cup, after which he was retired for stud duties.
Having made three entries earlier in the week, Amo Racing’s representative in this year’s Brocklesby is Starspangledbanner colt Valadero, who cost the team €250,000 as a yearling and is now under the tutelage of Lambourn-based trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis.
While he has plenty to live up to, connections are hopeful of a bold showing on Town Moor.
Amo’s racing and operations manager, Tom Pennington, said: “Persian Force was obviously an incredibly special horse who was verging on Group One standard.
“Valadero is a very nice colt who has been very straightforward to deal with and his work’s been good.
“We sat down as a team this week, we had the three entries and there’s a long season ahead.
“This horse will go there in A1 condition. I wouldn’t say we’re confident, but he does go there in very good shape.”
Persian Force is not the only high-class recent winner of the Brocklesby, with 2021 scorer Chipotle going on to score at Royal Ascot and 2016 victor The Last Lion striking Group One gold in the Middle Park Stakes before the end of his juvenile campaign.
Pennington added: “There’s 17 other runners on Saturday, all unraced and everyone thinks they’ve got a good one. It’s difficult in this sort of ground as well – which horse will handle it best?
“Winners of the Brocklesby used to be first half of the season wonders, but now they tend to go all the way through.”
John Quinn likes what he has seen at home from Ribchester colt Sankari, but fears he is not well placed in stall one.
He said: “He’s a nice sort of horse. I don’t know about the ground, but we’ll find out.
“I’m not mad about the draw, but there we are. He’s fit and he’s well and we’ll see how we go.”
Tom Dascombe has enjoyed his fair share of juvenile success over the years and is looking forward to saddling Old Chums – a son of Kodiac out of Listed-winning mare Magical Dreamer.
“He’s owned by a wonderful group of friends and I sincerely hope that he’s pretty useful,” said the Lambourn-based trainer.
“He has a fantastic attitude, he’s going to give me his best, I’m pretty sure he’ll handle the ground and I’m really looking forward to watching him run.
“His dam handled soft ground, Kodiacs generally handle soft ground and he’s pretty quick – it’s as simple as that.
“I’m sure there’ll be half a dozen better than him, but we’ve got to start somewhere.”
Magna Grecia colt Loaded Gun is prominent in the market for Andrew Balding, while Karl Burke’s Indication Call and Bellarchi from Grant Tuer’s yard both carry the colours of Nick Bradley Racing.
Doddie’s Impact (Robyn Brisland) and Go To Work (David Evans) also feature in what promises to be an informative affair.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2.66062750-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-03-31 15:05:342023-03-31 15:05:34Valadero aiming to emulate Persian Force in Brocklesby test