Neil Morrice Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 1 – 10 September 2026

DONCASTER ST LEGER FESTIVAL DAY 1 BEST BETS THURSDAY

Race 1 BRITISH STALLION STUDS ‘CARRIE RED’ EBF FILLIES’ NURSERY

No11 WONDERVISION (Each Way)
Trainer: Jack Channon – Jockey: Nicola Currie

The Leger meeting kicks off with a fillies’ nursery in which WONDERVISION can put her best foot forward. On only her fourth outing the Minzaal filly competes with a handy weight following a narrow success at Wolverhampton in which she got out of all sorts of trouble in running to score narrowly. She’s been working well at home, while her pilot has been riding as well as ever in recent weeks and knows her. SPEED OF SOUND is a regular earner and possibly the main threat to the selection. She was a 40-1 no hoper when third behind to the outstanding Sun Goddess at York and appeals more than her stablemate SEXY CHICK.

Prediction: 1st WONDERVISION, 2nd Speed Of Spund, 3rd Sexy Chick

Race 2 No15 NIGHT IN VEGAS (Nap)
Trainer: Eve Johnson Houghton – Jockey: Charles Bishop

NIGHT IN VEGAS is a short favourite for the valuable Sales race but thoroughly deserves his position at the head of the market. The handsome son of Night Of Thunder brings exceptional credentials to the table having followed a couple of early successes with a close up fifth in the Coventry, a third in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and a clear cut delivery after being heavily backed for an identical race to this at Newmarket. He’s got this to lose, but if dangers emerge from the big field SEVEN NATION ARMY looks the main threat ahead of SATELLITE OF LOVE and MITHAALY.

Prediction: 1st NIGHT IN VEGAS, 2nd Seven Nation Army, 3rd Satellite Of Love

Race 3 No4 RUNMAN (Each Way)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Oisin Murphy

RUNMAN has been more in than out this season, and comes here with his tail up after a good staying performance I’ve the 2000 metres trip to score at Newbury. He’s been green but that latest evidence is of a horse growing up, and as long as he handles these softer conditions he can repel the challenges of BESIEGED and KNIGHTS CHARGE. Besieged was denied on his first two starts but carded a 14 lengths margin of victory over his foes when opening his account at Salisbury and rates a major threat to the selection. Knight’s Charge also enters calculations as he defends a two race unbeaten record this season for Roger Varian.

Prediction: 1st RUNMAN, 2nd Besieged, 3rd Knight’s Charge

Race 4 BETFRED PARK HILL STAKES (Group 2)

No2 DANIELLE
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: William Buick

DANIELLE was a beaten favourite when fourth in this distaffers’ highlight in 2025 but went on to hack up by 11 lengths on heavy ground in a Listed race back here at the end of the season. She returned to take out the Group 3 Brontë Cup at York and I’m not sure the ground or the track played to her strengths when she finished last in the Lillie Langtry at Goodwood. She’s entitled to have an occasional off day, and I fancy her to bounce back in this Day 1 highlight at the main expense of WAARDAH, who finished well clear of her in the Goodwood race, but now has a hood added by Owen Burrows. The way Andrew Balding’s fillies are running, one would hesitate to leave our PRIZELAND who took her form to another level when lifting a Listed contest at Yarmouth, and she should also trouble the judge.

Prediction: 1st DANIELLE, 2nd Waardah, 3rd Prizeland

Race 5 BETFRED MAY HILL STAKES (Group 2)

No5 MUSICAL TIMES
Trainer: Charlie Appleby – Jockey: William Buick

This often throws up a Guineas or Oaks prospect for the following season and the name the bookies’ reps might be sharpening their pencils for is MUSICAL TIMES. As a daughter of Lope De Vega she is bred to enjoy plenty of cut in the ground but didn’t get it on her successes at Newmarket and Yarmouth. She made a hack out of her useful stablemate Gracious Gift on the last named occasion and is strongly fancied to further enhance the good form of the Godolphin horses. SEA OF RAIN is an industrious filly who always finds herself in the money. That trait can serve her well following a deserves Group 3 triumph at the Curragh for her veteran handler Jim Bolger. Her compatriot Ballyskeagh was threequarters of a length adrift of her that day, but might struggle to turn it round.

Prediction: 1st MUSICAL TIMES, 2nd Sea Of Rain, 3rd Ballyskeagh

Race 6 No3 ZARAKOVA
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy

This race has cut up and ZARAKOVA is the one who can take advantage. The daughter of Zarak made it third time lucky when opening her account as a well supported favourite at Newmarket where her stamina for the 1600 metres was assured. She receives a handy 9lb from AL WATHBA who arrives with a similar profile, but broke her maiden on the Polytrack. That Godolphin owned filly is preferred to WAASIL to form the flip side of exacta.

Prediction: 1st ZARAKOVA, 2nd Al Wathba, 3rd Waasil

Race 7 No3 RAFE’S DA MAN
Trainer: Richard Hannon – Jockey: Ryan Moore

Ghaiyyath colt RAFE’S DA MAN improved on three straight podium finishes to open his account on good to firm ground at Goodwood and has thrived since that deserved triumph. All his races have been over today’s 1400 metres and he’s in a good place to outpoint UNDISCOVERED and the dangerous MIDGHAM MAN in this nursery.

Prediction: 1st RAFE’S DA MAN, 2nd Undiscovered, 3rd Midgham Man

Race 8 No10 ITICA
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy

Murphy gave ITICA a peach to score as the outsider in a Goodwood seller last week. The chestnut relished the cut in the ground on that first outing on turf to score without knowing he’d been in a race. The 22-1 upset can be backed up at a relatively smaller price in the nightcap. At the top end of the weights MASTERINTHEWOODS brings solid claims to the table after a string of near misses at Grade 1 courses including when second to runaway scorer Explode at Newbury. DEVIL’S PEAK has performed well at consecutive marquee festivals and his second to Into The Light at Goodwood reads well.

Prediction: 1st ITICA, 2nd Masterinthewoods, 3rd Devil’s Peak