St Leger Fesitval: Hollie Doyle hoping for Ladies’ day success at Doncaster with treble-seeking Lord P for Fergal O'Brien
Hollie Doyle rides Fergal O'Brien Lord P on day two of the St Leger Fesitval at Doncaster; Doyle hoping for rain for Doncaster Cup hope Trueshan; watch every race live on Sky Sports Racing from 1.10pm
Thursday 9 September 2021 08:39, UK
Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle previews her rides on Ladies' day at Doncaster's St Leger Festival, including an unlikely link-up with a treble-seeker for Fergal O'Brien.
Groom looks a live outsider
I link up with my old boss Richard Hannon on a live outsider in the most valuable race of the day at Doncaster, the Weatherbys Scientific £200,000 2YO Stakes (2.10).
GROOM has done enough in his short career to suggest he can give me a good ride in the six-and-a-half furlong cavalry charge off a nice weight of 8st 9lb.
He beat a decent rival in George Boughey's subsequent winner Cashew in a Salisbury novice on his third start back in June, springing off the fast ground.
Rain-softened conditions appeared to blunt him back at the same track a couple of weeks later and he bumped into a smart one in the shape of Noisy Night on his return from a break over seven furlongs at Kempton last week.
The sounder surface we are expecting at Doncaster will be in his favour and I will have options from a middle draw in stall 12. It is a notoriously difficult race to win but the prize money goes down to 10th place so I am looking for a positive result.
Hoping for a silky performance from Lord P
Arena Racing Company's Silk Series has been a great initiative to showcase the talents of female riders, both professional and amateur, and I always enjoy riding in it.
I am on Fergal O'Brien's in-form LORD P in the latest round, a 0-95 handicap over six furlongs (1.10) which will fittingly get the ever-popular Ladies' Day off to a flying start at Doncaster.
Lord P has been giving Fergal's daughter Fern a lot of fun. She has won on him twice at Carlisle and Thirsk so the pressure is on me to complete the hat-trick.
A wind operation seems to have transformed this four-year-old, who has gone up a whole stone since the first of those two wins last month.
This is a hefty step up in grade from Class 6 to Class 3 but the big galloping track will certainly be in his favour so hopefully he will find more improvement.
Rain may come for Trueshan
After a day of glorious sunshine, the rain is set to arrive at Town Moor on Thursday which will certainly boost my hopes of another Group success on TRUESHAN in Friday's Doncaster Cup.
My Goodwood Cup hero is among seven declared for the two-mile-and-two-furlong showpiece and will be given the green light for a mouth-watering clash with the great Stradivarius if the weather forecast proves accurate.
Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan said the going could be good to soft on day three of the Cazoo St Leger Festival which would suit us perfectly.
As I said in Tuesday's blog, Alan King has Trueshan in great form at home but it is well known he is ground dependent so we do need to see those showers.
