Form expert Dave Massey is back with his best bets for all 4 days of Doncaster’s St Leger Festival 2024, including expert tips on the opening day and a strong fancy in the feature Gp 2 Park Stakes.
St Leger Festival 2024: Night Sparkle (3:35) – Back
Night Sparkle clearly didn’t get the 2m trip at York when fading out of things late to finish fourth to Vauban in the Lonsdale Cup, but that was still another excellent effort and this drop back in trip, can see her gain due reward for a series of very good efforts.
Her previous second in the Lillie Langtry has been boosted by solid efforts from the third and fourth since, and although she was disappointing at this meeting last year, soft ground was to blame, and she’s going to get conditions much more to her liking here. In a race where a few have something to find, she looks the solid choice.
St Leger Festival 2024: Desert Flower (3:00) – Take On
This looks a lay at the price rather than any “this can’t win” angle because clearly Desert Flower can win, it’s just that bookmakers already appear to be on the cautious side with her. Desert Flower has impressed on both starts so far, winning well on both occasions and whilst the eye has been taken, on the figures she’s done no more than the likes of January, Anshoda or Flight. The case for her improving again is easy to see, but it isn’t a given, and 11-8 looks too short. For me, she’s nearer a 15-8/2-1 shot and I’d not be surprised to see her drift a bit.
January has always looked the sort to keep improving as the season goes on and on the two occasions she’s tackled seven furlongs, has been strong at the finish on both occasions, powering clear over Tipperary’s 7½f trip last time out and recording a good speed figure in the process. To my eyes she’s achieved as much as Desert Flower to date, yet is four times the price and more, so laying Desert Flower looks the way to go.
St Leger Festival 2024: Moving Force (2:25) – Each Way
A lot will depend on whether the draw is going to have a say in the outcome of this and we should get some idea from the opening nursery. High numbers are probably just preferred as things stand and that could be against the likes of Cabourn and Camille Pissaro, who in truth was disappointing at York, and also Intrusively, who looks like he’ll enjoy this extra half-furlong based on his third in the Richmond where he was outpaced for much of the contest but stayed on strongly late to claim third.
So maybe the each-way play is Richard Fahey’s Moving Force, who isn’t necessarily improving but has a body of solid form to his name, including a close fifth in the competitive SkyBet Nursery at York last time out, and has looked like he needs a bit further for some time now. Stall 20 might be a good place to work from and his form entitles him to be in the first five. One to back with the extra places on offer.
By Dave Massey
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