Horsebetting.com experts give their three best bets for the day three of the St Leger Festival on Friday, 14 September. The Sir Michael Stoute trained Sangarius rates the NAP on the eight-race card in the Listed 7f Flying Scotsman Stakes. Anna Nerium is a real 7f specialist and is our NB in the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes that gets proceedings underway. In the ultra-competitive Mallard Handicap, meanwhile, Ben Vrackie makes plenty of each-way appeal. For full details on these horses, read our in-depth preview with Doncaster betting tips for September 14.All aboard Sangarius in the Flying ScotsmanSangarius looked something special when scoring on debut, so rates a solid bet to take the step up into Listed company in his stride and land the spoils in the 7f Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster on Friday (16:05). This colt hails from the yard of Sir Michael Stoute who has won the race four times courtesy of Shaadi (1988), Ezzoud (1991), Tough Speed (1999) and City Of Troy (2005).
Both Shaadi and Ezzoud went on to be top class Group 1 winning performers and, judged on the manner of Sanegrius’s success in a 13-runner maiden at Newmarket last month, the Newmarket handler has another exciting prospect on his hands. This son of multiple Group 1 winner Kingman was backed off the boards into 11/8 favouritism before beating Bangkok by a neck.
That narrow margin of the victory does not tell the whole story as, after racing in touch, Sangarius was produced at the the furlong marker before quickening smartly to press the leader inside the last. He then only had to be pushed out with hands and heels to score readily.
The front two pulled six lengths clear of the field, while the fourth home Mordred has since come out and won at Chester off an official rating of 89. Given that Dubai Dominion is the highest of those that have been given a rating in this nine runner contest off 96, it suggests that Sangarius has the potential to be much better than anything in the field.
Stoute inmates also tend to need their first run, so the fact that he was able to get the job done in style straight away speaks volumes as to his ability. Sangarius looks a seriously good horse and group performer in the making, thus he rates the standout bet on the card and is fully expected to land the spoils en route to much better things.Anna Nerium the answer to Sceptre StakesAnna Nerium has a superb strike rate over 7f and some solid form in the book, so looks worth a wager get the better of the favourite Laugh Aloud in the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes that gets proceedings underway on this eight-race card (13:50).
The Richard Hannon trained filly is three form four over the specialist distance and has also won four of her eight starts on the forecast ground. She had some smart form as a juvenile, and looked one to keep onside as a three-year-old when making a winning return to action in the European Free Handicap at Newmarket when scoring easily by three lengths.
Anna Nerium was then far from disgraced when a six-length seventh of 15 to Billesdon Brook in the fillies’ Classic at headquarters, the Group 1 1000 Guineas run over the Rowley Mile. She backed that up with a solid second in a Group 3 at Epsom before finding things too hot when eighth behind wonder filly Alpha Centauri in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
This daughter of Dubawi was then given a well-deserved break before relishing the drop back to 7f when running on strongly to beat Dream Of Dreams, who has always been held in high regard, by three-quarters of a length in the Group 3 Supreme Stakes at Goodwood 19 days ago.
That success earned Anna Nerium an official rating of 109, the highest in this field. She is rated 1lb above Laugh Aloud, so at the odds on offer looks value to turn over the jolly and therefore rates another value punt among our Doncaster betting tips for September 14 on a competitive day’s racing at Town Moor.Ben Vrackie a solid each-way play in Mallard HandicapIn the 1m 6f Mallard Handicap (15:00), Ben Vrackie looks on a potentially handy mark and rates a solid each-way punt in a competitive renewal. This John Gosden trained three-year-old colt has only had four starts, shaping with stacks of promise in the second of those when runner-up at Newcastle in a race that has thrown up a host of subsequent winners.
He then went one better at the same venue when cruising clear to slam Astromachia, who has won since, by 16 lengths without barely having to break sweat. Ben Vrackie was then pitched into group company last time out and ran very well to finish 1 1/4 lengths runner-up to Maid Up in the March Stakes at Goodwood.
Attempting to give 3lb to the 105-rated winner – a thriving filly who has now won four of her five starts and been supplemented by connections for the final Classic of the season here on Saturday, the Group 1 St Leger – means it was a cracking effort in the circumstances. Ben Vrackie’s opening handicap mark of 104 looka exploitable, especially as he has plenty of untapped potential.
So, with Frankie Dettori in the saddle, this son of Frankel looks to have the perfect profile for this valuable prize and features as the each-way punt in our Doncaster betting tips for September 14.Your Next Bet
