Saturday ITV racing tips: Best bets for Doncaster St Leger Festival and Chester

The ITV cameras will be showing four races from Doncaster on Saturday afternoon, including two Group 2s, the Champagne Stakes (1350) and the Park Stakes (1500), as well as the main feature the St Leger (1535).

They've also thrown in two races from Chester in the build-up to the big race.

We will start off with a quick run through our tips, with the reasons why we've picked them further down the page.

We've also picked selections for the three other races that ITV aren't covering, because that's the kind of tipsters we are.

If you fancy a punt or two, check out the Planet Sport race centre which will show you all the live odds, racecards and results.

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Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Saturday's selections from Doncaster and Chester:

(ITV races in bold)

13:50 (Doncaster) Iberian

14:05 (Chester) Bluestocking

14:25 (Doncaster) Tees Spirit

14:40 (Chester) Sweet Reward

15:00 (Doncaster) Spycatcher

15:35 (Doncaster) Desert Hero

16:10 (Doncaster) Symbol Of Light

16:45 (Doncaster) At Vimeiro

17:20 (Doncaster) Liberty Lane

 

13:50 (Doncaster) Iberian

Iberian endured a luckless run at Goodwood but better fortune awaits in the Betfred Champagne Stakes.

He looked a classy prospect on his debut for Charlie Hills, winning in style at Newbury, but he was beaten a length when switched up to Group Two level in the Vintage Stakes.

However, he fluffed the start a bit that day and then had to try to come round the whole field, which puts a much more favourable light on his defeat.

Iberian was doing all his best work at the finish and should not be underestimated.

 

14:05 (Chester) Bluestocking

Bluestocking can get a confidence boost as she drops to Listed level in the Tote Stand Cup Stakes.

She has clashed with Warm Heart three times this season, beaten just a head at Newbury in May before coming home third in the Ribblesdale and then fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks last time out.

Those last two runs were punctuated with a narrow defeat in the Irish Oaks which makes her the clear form pick.

 

14:25 (Doncaster) Tees Spirit

Tees Spirit ran his best race for a while last weekend and can take advantage of a lenient mark in the Betfred Portland.

Rated 104 at the start of the campaign after notching up five wins last term, including an Irish Listed heat and the Dash at Epsom, Tees Spirit found life pretty tough in his first four starts this season.

After finishing well down the field as a 150-1 shot in the Nunthorpe, trainer Adrian Nicholls switched back to handicap company at Haydock last week and Tees Spirit relished the challenge as he found only Raasel too good off a mark of 93.

Nicholls’ daughter Mia took off a valuable 7lb that day and she is in the plate again for what looks a good opportunity.

 

14:40 (Chester) Sweet Reward

Sweet Reward impressed winning by five lengths in a one and a quarter mile handicap at Goodwood and could complete a double here.

First Impression rates highly on the back of a victory over a mile on this course.

Wisper and Southern Voyage also hold strong claims.

15:00 (Doncaster) Spycatcher

Spycatcher missed last week’s Sprint Cup at Haydock due to quick ground but with conditions more to his liking on Town Moor, he can gain a measure of compensation in the Betfred Park Stakes.

While this contest is seven furlongs rather than the six he would have faced on Merseyside, Spycatcher has proved adept at both, although he posted a career best at six and a half furlongs when just touched off in the Prix Maurice de Gheest last time out.

Conditions seem rather more crucial to him than 220 yards and a repeat of his Group One form from Deauville would certainly put him right in the mix at the line.

 

15:35 (Doncaster) Desert Hero

 

 

Desert Hero can deliver a fairytale result in the Betfred St Leger.

It would be a dream success if the William Haggas-trained colt could strike Classic gold in the colours of the King and Queen in their coronation year, having already provided a first Royal Ascot victory for his owners.

Bred by the late Queen, Desert Hero won two of his three juvenile starts, demonstrating his already evident stamina when triumphing over nine furlongs on deep ground at the backend of last term.

Pitched over 10 furlongs on his return at Newbury, the son of Sea The Stars found that trip a bit sharp, successfully switching up to a mile and a half in the King George V Stakes at the Royal meeting before adding a hard-fought Group Two success in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

While he beat the reopposing Chesspiece by just a neck that day, Desert Hero looked good value for the margin as Tom Marquand played it cool, producing him late and taking full advantage of what appears a handy turn of foot.

The 14-furlong trip is obviously a question mark, but with only Gregory having triumphed over the distance, that comment applies to the majority and the more recent deployment of waiting tactics gives Desert Hero every chance of getting home, with some staying types further back in his pedigree too.

Given the late Queen’s last British Classic victory came via Dunfermline in the 1977 St Leger, victory for Desert Hero would seem eminently fitting.

 

16:10 (Doncaster) Symbol Of Light

By far the most interesting contender is Symbol Of Light.

This gelded son of Shamardal won three times for Charlie Appleby before finishing fourth in a competitive Newcastle handicap on debut for new connections.

Though not the most straightforward to train he retains plenty of potential on his second turf mark and could well prove too well-treated for rivals here.

Simply Sondheim is three from three with soft in the going description and must enter calculations resuming from a break.

 

16:45 (Doncaster) At Vimeiro

A decent-looking maiden. Jane Chapple-Hyam has presented some nice juveniles this season and her newcomer At Vimeiro catches the eye.

This son of Sea The Stars holds an entry for the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in a few week's time and is clearly showing the right signs at home.

Fellow newcomer God's Window commands respect representing notable connections.

 

17:20 (Doncaster) Liberty Lane

Three-year-olds have won the last three renewals of this contest and Liberty Lane appears capable of continuing the trend.

He finished fourth behind Dutch Decoy tackling this trip at Newmarket in July and looks to have kept on for an autumn campaign with soft ground in mind.

You only have to go back to October last year to see his impressive debut success at Nottingham (soft) and he holds every chance revisiting a similar surface.

Dutch Decoy makes each-way appeal while Brunch is back down to a workable mark and could go well if building on a decent third-placed finish at York tackling ground too quick.

Conditions will suit Ascot third Empirestateofmind and The Gatekeeper, who can get involved after winning narrowly on the soft at Goodwood.