St Leger Festival: Preview and tips for day one at Doncaster

The opening race of the meeting begins at 1.50pm and the action concludes at 5.20pm.

The going is currently Good, but showers are forecast. Nevertheless, it promises to be an excellent start to the meeting with Group action to enjoy.

We have previewed the pick of the action and recommend getting the best odds by using the SBK Sportsbook App.

The feature event of the day is the G3 Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes over an extended seven furlongs at 3.35pm. Heredia has to be a leading player for Richard Hannon. She impressed when winning a big handicap at Royal Ascot, but has blotted her copybook the last twice. She was only eighth in the Oak Tree Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, but has interestingly been kept fresh for this assignment.

Adaay In Asia is on a roll for Harry Dunlop who is to cease training at the end of the season. The progressive three-year-old has won her last four starts. That included victory in a competitive handicap at Glorious Goodwood and a smooth win in another valuable handicap event at York’s Ebor Meeting last time out. Her winning run started off a mark of 81 and despite now being up to a mark of 98, she may well go close again given her current rampant form.

The 11-strong field also includes Nectaris who was a good third in a Listed event at Galway in July. She has since finished seventh in a G3 contest at Deauville last month, but has to be feared given she represents powerful Irish trainer Jessica Harrington. Nizaaka is another interesting runner. She racked up a three-timer at Newmarket earlier on this season, before filling seventh at Sandown in a Group event last time out.

Bounce The Blues would be suited by more cut in the ground and is a danger on the pick of her best form, which included a third in the 2020 running of this event. Second at Chelmsford in July, she has been unsuited by the dry summer in England, but is a real danger in the autumn if getting her ground.

Umm Kulthum impressed when winning a Listed event at Newmarket in April but has failed to fire in two runs since which included a well-beaten 18th in G1 company. Seventh back in the calmer waters of a G3 at York last time out, she nevertheless has questions to answer. Novemba however looks the most interesting runner. Trained in Germany by Peter Schiergen, she was fourth in a G2 event at Royal Ascot in June, but shaped with loads of promise again back at the track when third in July. Doncaster should play to her strengths and she certainly has the class to go close in this event.

Doncaster selections

1.50pm The Green Man

2.25pm Modern Dancer

3.00pm Ebury

3.35pm Novemba

4.10pm Equilateral

4.45pm Starnberg

5.20pm Mujtaba