Our ambassador Hollie Doyle shares her thoughts on the action at Town Moor, offering insights on the Park Hill, May Hill and Sales races. The race known as the Fillies' Leger – officially the Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes (3.00) – is a marquee event on the opening day of the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster on Thursday. Doyle expects a hard‑fought renewal and believes the Owen Burrows‑trained filly Waardah will be the standout. Waardah has only two runs this season, both in high‑class company, including a Group Two outing in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
In that race she showed a hint of freshness early on, a reminder that it was her first start since May. This time she will wear a hood for the first time, a change that could help her dominate rivals such as Fairy Glen, who impressed at Meydan in the spring by winning the Dubai Gold Cup over two miles against the likely Doncaster Cup favourite Caballo De Mar.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s mare has demonstrated that she can stay on strongly after a break, so a four‑month lay‑off should not unsettle her. Her stamina over the extended mile‑and‑three‑quarter distance appears assured.
On the same card, Godolphin’s filly Musical Times will contest the Group Two Betfred May Hill Stakes (3.35), a key trial for two‑year‑olds. Musical Times is unbeaten in novice contests at Newmarket and Yarmouth and is being tipped for a possible challenge in the Group One Fillies' Mile later in the season. She is a daughter of Lope De Vega and carries a growing reputation, but she has yet to face top‑class opposition. Doyle therefore pairs her with the Irish‑trained Sea Of Rain, a proven Group Three winner at the Curragh.
Jim Bolger’s filly brings experience and should handle the softer ground without difficulty. Turning to the juvenile division, the Weatherbys £300,000 2‑Year‑Old Stakes (1.50) will likely be led by favourite Night In Vegas. The colt, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, carries a high rating of 102 but will concede weight to many of his rivals under the race’s conditions. His record includes a valuable auction race win at Newmarket and a respectable third in the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, making him a solid contender.
Doyle also backs her husband Tom Marquand on William Haggas’s God Given Talent, who was unlucky when he finished fourth in a hot nursery at York’s Ebor Festival – his first start for Haggas after moving from James Ferguson. Another runner with a rating of 91, Satellite Of Love, trained by Clive Cox, could also make an impact. Satellite was unbeaten in his first two starts before being beaten into fifth place behind the Group One winner Sun Goddess in a York sales race.
In the British Stallion Studs ’Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies' Nursery Handicap (1.15) on Thursday, Art Of Life is making her debut. Cox’s filly has been unlucky in previous outings at Newbury, often finding herself caught behind the hot favourite Sweetwonderfulyou in a previous start.
Doyle slightly prefers Art Of Life to Richard Spencer’s likely favourite Speed Of Sound, a Sioux Nation filly who ran a strong race behind Sun Goddess in the valuable York sales contest. At a higher level, Richard Hannon’s Rollthedicebaby is priced steeply but possesses the ability to recover after a modest finish behind Speed Of Sound on the Knavesmire.
Tom Marquand and his trainer William Haggas will have a key target in the mile‑and‑quarter Pertemps Network Handicap (2.25) on opening day. King Of Earth, who impressed with a valuable Curragh handicap win in the summer while wearing cheekpieces for the first time, could be a factor after a respectable effort in Group Three company at York.
Returning to a handicap with favorable ground and a good draw, King Of Earth may quickly get back on track, potentially at the expense of John and Thady Gosden’s Runman. The son of Frankel, after a two‑month break, won over this distance at Newbury last season and appears well‑conditioned, carrying only three pounds more than his previous mark.
He should relish the Town Moor conditions. Hollie Doyle discussed these prospects with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft, offering a blend of analysis and personal preference. She highlighted the importance of form, fitness, and ground conditions, noting that a horse’s recent break can be either a benefit or a hindrance depending on how it returns to racing. Doyle also emphasized that the Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes often produces a surprise winner, but Waardah’s combination of stamina, recent training updates, and proven Group Two experience give her a distinct edge.
The Betfred St Leger Festival runs from Thursday 10th September to Sunday 13th September, with every race available live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 512). Fans can follow the action, watch the re‑runs, and see whether Doyle’s picks hold up against the unpredictable nature of British flat racing. The festival promises a blend of classic distance contests, juvenile sprints, and promising newcomers, making it a must‑watch for anyone interested in the future stars of the sport.