Best bets for the Cazoo St Leger Festival - Day One

Wednesday sees the Cazoo St Leger Festival get underway at Doncaster with what is marketed as the Leger Legends Day with the charity race run over the straight mile; it’s a bit of fun seeing some of the old mob back in the saddle and raises a few quid.

Best bets for the horse racing at Doncaster Wednesday

Modern Games caught my eye entered in the opener at 1.45 the 7f Hippo Pro 3 Nursery Handicap being one I have talked of before. An opening mark of 90 means he has top-weight but to my eyes it still gives the son of Dubawi a big chance in this as you would expect there is a bit more to come from him yet after just three races. He won at the second time of asking when running at HQ and was far from disgraced when second last time at Leicester under a 7lb penalty, front two went clear of the rest. You can get 9-4 and I have that.  Bullet Force appears to have improved with each run and looks the one to chase the selection home. 

I tipped Tangled Words on debut twelve days ago when the colt was fourth at Newmarket, and quite frankly he looked green as grass – in fact on the Godolphin website their comments are ‘looked clueless’. It's fair to say he should have learnt from the experience. As I said the other day his pedigree is top-drawer stuff and you have all the quality genes in the mix you could want so you can realistically expect improvement. Tongue strap goes on and I am prepared to give him a second chance and have backed him at 5-1 for the 2.20 British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes over a mile. Frantastic is another well-bred one being a full-brother to four-time G.1 winner Cracksman and will attract plenty of support no doubt with Dettori onboard for the Gosdens and owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer.

The main race of day one is at 3.25 the Group Three 7f Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies' Stakes. Just Beautiful has an obvious chance in this for me with her sixth in Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July the best form on show. She was turned over at odds-on when second in the mile G.3 Prix de Lieurey at Deauville last time, perhaps not quite getting home on good-soft. She is actually top-rated and of course gets the weight-for-age from the four-year-olds so for me 4-1 actually looks a little generous with the drop back in trip and faster going all expected to help her cause. 

Be lucky