Our ambassador Hollie Doyle shares her thoughts on the action at Town Moor, offering insight into 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 fixture on the opening day of the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster on Thursday. Doyle expects a tightly contested renewal and believes the Owen Burrows‑trained Waardah will be the horse to watch. Waardah has only two starts this season, both in high‑class company, including a run in the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
In that race she showed a hint of freshness early on – her first start since May – and was unable to sustain her effort. This time she will race with a hood for the first time, a change that could sharpen her focus and allow her to outclass rivals such as Fairy Glen, who impressed at Meydan in the spring when taking the Dubai Gold Cup over two miles, beating Friday’s likely Doncaster Cup favourite Caballo De Mar. Simon and Ed Crisford’s filly has shown that a spell can be beneficial; she returns after a four‑month break, fully fit and with her stamina proven over the extended mile‑and‑three‑quarter distance of the Park Hill.
Doyle is confident that Waardah’s staying power will be decisive. Turning to the other Group 2 on the card, the Betfred May Hill Stakes (3.35) for two‑year‑olds, Godolphin’s Musical Times is attracting attention. The filly, a daughter of Lope De Vega, is unbeaten in novice contests at Newmarket and Yarmouth and is being tipped for a future attempt at the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile.
While her record is impressive, she has yet to face top‑class opposition, so Doyle also backs the Irish‑trained Sea Of Rain. Sea Of Rain has already shown she can handle Group level competition, having captured a Group 3 at the Curragh.
Jim Bolger’s runner brings experience and should cope well with any cut in the ground. In the juvenile division, the Weatherbys £300,000 2‑Y‑O Stakes (1.50) is likely to be dominated by the 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 credentials are solid, highlighted by a valuable auction race win at Newmarket and a respectable third in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Doyle also expects a strong showing from William Haggas’s God Given Talent, a colt who was unlucky in his first start for the yard after leaving James Ferguson, finishing fourth in a competitive nursery at York’s Ebor Festival. Satellite Of Love, another 91‑rated runner, could also make an impact. Trained by Clive Cox, Satellite Of Love was unbeaten in his first two starts before being beaten decisively behind the Group 1 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 poised for a debut win.
The Cox‑trained filly has been unlucky in previous outings at Newbury, often finding herself in traffic behind Tom Marquand’s hot favourite Sweetwonderfulyou. Doyle leans slightly toward Art Of Life over Richard Spencer’s likely favourite Speed Of Sound, a Sioux Nation filly who ran a strong race at the weights behind Sun Goddess in that valuable York sales contest. At a higher level, Richard Hannon’s Rollthedicebaby, despite a recent easing mark, possesses the class to bounce back after finishing behind Speed Of Sound on the Knavesmire. Meanwhile, Tom Marquand and his trainer William Haggas have a strong contender in the mile‑and‑quarter Pertemps Network Handicap (2.25) on opening day.
King Of Earth, who won a valuable Curragh handicap in the summer wearing cheekpieces for the first time, impressed despite a modest effort in Group 3 company at York. Returning to a handicap with favorable ground and a good draw, he could pose a serious threat to John and Thady Gosden’s Runman. King Of Earth, a son of Frankel, has just come off a two‑month spell and previously won over this distance at Newbury. He appears well‑conditioned, carrying only three pounds more than his rivals, and should relish the Town Moor conditions.
Hollie Doyle discussed these prospects with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft. Fans can watch every race of the Betfred St Leger Festival live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 512) from Thursday 10 September through Sunday 13 September.