Hollie Doyle, our resident racing ambassador, shares her insights on the action unfolding at Town Moor, offering her perspective on the key contests at Park Hill, May Hill, and the Sales Race. The race dubbed the Fillies' Leger – officially the Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes (3.00) – is slated as one of the marquee events on the opening day of the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster on Thursday.
Doyle anticipates a tightly contested renewal, with the standout likely to be the Owen Burrows‑trained filly Waardah. Waardah has already contested two major races this season in a relatively light campaign against top‑class opposition.
Her most recent start came in the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, where she was caught out by a touch of freshness early on – a reminder that this was her first run since May. This experience, however, should serve her well as she steps back up to the longer distance at Park Hill. For the first time she will race wearing a hood, a piece of equipment that could help her settle and unleash her full ability.
If she does, she could prove too strong for high‑quality rivals such as Fairy Glen, who impressed at Meydan in the spring by winning the Dubai Gold Cup over two miles, beating Friday’s probable Doncaster Cup favourite Caballo De Mar. Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly has demonstrated that she can return from a break in good form, and a four‑month lay‑off should not unsettle her. Her stamina over the extended mile‑and‑three‑quarter trip is well‑established, making her a credible candidate to take the prize.
Turning to the other Group Two on opening day – the Betfred May Hill Stakes (3.35) for two‑year‑old fillies – Godolphin’s Musical Times arrives with a growing reputation. Unbeaten in novice contests at Newmarket and Yarmouth, she is being tipped for a potential Group One Fillies' Mile campaign later in the season. This daughter of Lope De Vega is an intriguing prospect in what is recognised as a classic trial, but her record at this stage is still limited. To balance that, Doyle points to Irish‑trained Sea Of Rain, a proven Group Three winner at the Curragh, as a solid alternative.
Jim Bolger’s filly brings experience and should handle the softer ground without difficulty. In the juvenile division, the favourite appears to be Night In Vegas in the Weatherbys £300,000 2‑Year‑Old Stakes (1.50). The colt, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, carries a lofty rating of 102 but will be conceding a significant weight to his nearest rivals under the race’s conditions.
His credentials are strong, highlighted by a valuable auction race win at Newmarket and a respectable third in the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. Doyle also hopes to see her husband Tom Marquand ride well on William Haggas’s God Given Talent. The colt was unlucky in his first start for Haggas, finishing fourth in a hot nursery at York’s Ebor Festival after returning from a spell with James Ferguson.
Another contender with a rating of 91 is Satellite Of Love, trained by Clive Cox. The colt was unbeaten in his first two starts before being soundly beaten in a Group One sales race at York, where Sun Goddess triumphed.
In the British Stallion Studs ’Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies' Nursery Handicap (1.15) on Thursday, Art Of Life is yet to break her duck but could make a winning debut from novice company. Cox’s filly has been unlucky in the past, bumping into promising rivals at Newbury and showing a hint of over‑eagerness behind Tom’s hot favourite Sweetwonderfulyou in her last outing. Doyle marginally prefers Art Of Life to Richard Spencer’s likely favourite Speed Of Sound, a classy Sioux Nation filly who ran a strong race at the weights behind Sun Goddess in the valuable sales contest at York. At a higher price level, Richard Hannon’s Rollthedicebaby possesses the talent to rebound after an easing mark that left it in the pack behind Speed Of Sound on the Knavesmire.
The mile‑and‑quarter Pertemps Network Handicap (2.25) on opening day is another race where Tom and his boss William Haggas have a strong contender. King Of Earth impressed when winning a valuable Curragh handicap in the summer, doing so in his first race with cheekpieces.
Though his effort in Group Three company at York was modest, a return to a handicap with favourable ground and a good draw could see him quickly regain form, potentially at the expense of John and Thady Gosden’s Runman. King Of Earth, a son of Frankel, has recently enjoyed a two‑month lay‑off before winning over the same distance at Newbury. He now carries just three pounds more than his previous mark and should relish the Town Moor conditions.
In the interview, Hollie Doyle sat down with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft to discuss her picks and the broader festival narrative. Fans can watch every race of the Betfred St Leger Festival live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 512) from Thursday 10th September through to Sunday 13th September, ensuring they don’t miss any of the action on Town Moor.