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St Leger Fesitval: Hollie Doyle hoping for Ladies’ day success at Doncaster in May Hill Stakes with Ed Walker filly Kawida | Racing News


Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle previews her three rides on Ladies’ day at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival, including an exciting filly for Ed Walker.

Kawida out to extend dream run for Rausing

Prominent owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing is enjoying a marvellous season with the likes of Albaflora, Sandrine and Alpinista, and will be hoping to claim another top-level prize with her promising filly KAWIDA in the Cazoo May Hill Stakes (2.40).

This Group Two is often a strong pointer to the following year’s Classics so the competition is tough, but this daughter of Sir Percy has the talent to take me deep into the race.

The form of her Haydock win last month for champion jockey Oisin Murphy has worked out well. The second, Lady Caroline, has won since at Chester which is encouraging.

It is a big step from a fillies’ maiden but Ed Walker and his team have a lot of faith in this filly, who seems fairly ground versatile and promises to enjoy stepping up to one mile.

Image:
Doyle and Tom Marquand watch on at Doncaster on day one of the St Leger Festival

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.

Groom wins at Salisbury under Pat Dobbs
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Groom wins at Salisbury under Pat Dobbs

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

Hollie Doyle smiles as Goodwood Cup winner Trueshan is led back into the winner's enclosure
Image:
Doyle smiles as Goodwood Cup winner Trueshan is led back into the winner’s enclosure

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.





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