Doncaster best bets: Three-year-olds set to dominate St Leger Day finale

17:25 Doncaster: Cepac 25th Anniversary Handicap (1 mile)

Three-year-olds have dominated this event in recent times, winning six of the last seven renewals, including all of the last four, and there are only four of them in today’s line-up, including Karl Burke’s Native Warrior, who excels over a straight galloping mile, as he demonstrated to great effect in the Britannia Stakes at Ascot in June.

On ground that might have been a bit quicker than ideal, he finished a never-nearer  third of 29 in that ultra-competitive handicap for three-year-olds.

Best Bet: Native Warrior in the 17:25 at Doncaster

He had previously won his maiden over an extended mile on good ground at Nottingham, and by far the best of his two runs as a two-year-old was on soft ground, so the Ascot surface was probably a bit livelier than he would ideally need.

Since Ascot, the colt has run just once, finishing a close-up runner-up of 11 over nine furlongs at Goodwood, where a combination of good-to-firm ground and the tight, helter-skelter circuit looked a bit sharp for him.

It looked significant that Native Warrior was then withdrawn from a subsequent engagement over a mile at York because the good-firm ground there was deemed to be unsuitable.

Back over a straight galloping mile today, but this time on ground that will be a bit slower than at Ascot, this talented three-year-old has a good chance of deservedly landing a valuable handicap.

• Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr

Of the others, another of the three-year-olds, Treasure Time looks likely to run a big race for the William Haggas team.

Treasure Time is another with strong form over a straight, galloping mile, having finished a close second of 13 (beaten a neck) in a Class 2 event at Newmarket in July.

When last seen three weeks ago, Treasure Time won a Class 2 over a mile on the flat, galloping track at York, proving that he is still progressing.

However, both his wins were on good-to-firm ground, so the going here looks likely to suit Native Warrior more than him, but his Newmarket second was on good, and the drying forecast goes in his favour, so a bold showing is on the cards.

Next best bet: Treasure Time in the 17:25 at Doncaster

 

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