Best Bets For Doncaster today The Group Two Doncaster Cup Stakes over a distance of two miles and two furlongs is the highlight of another competitive afternoon’s racing at the Yorkshire venue. Last year we saw a thrilling finish to this marathon event when Coltrane (9/1) caused a minor shock when edging out the hot-favourite Trueshan (2/9 fav) and Irish-raider Lismore in a three way head-bobber. Since then, Coltrane has gone on to establish himself as one of the most dependable stayers on the circuit and he arrives here having gained the scalp of Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami when landing the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York last month. Trueshan, on the other hand, hasn’t been seen on a racetrack since suffering a heavy defeat, against Coltrane, in a Group 3 contest at Ascot back in May. Leading bookmakers bet365 have installed Coltrane as their 6/4 favourite for today’s race with Trueshan next in the market at 7/4. While the other three contenders in the race have realistic chances of making the frame, it would be no surprise to see the two favourites again fight out the finish and with Coltrane having come out on top in their last three encounters he is a worthy favourite this time around. The other big race today is the Flying Childers Stakes, a Group Two race for two-year-olds over the minimum distance of five furlongs. Two Irish-trained horses line up among the field of 12 and Michael O’Callaghan’s recent Navan scorer, Francis Meynell, is of interest. There was a lot to like about Francis Meynell’s recent debut victory at Navan where he beat a bunch of more experienced rivals in stylish fashion. O’Callaghan was full of praise for the son of Blue Point afterwards saying: “He's going to improve plenty. It's more so his mind that made him look so professional today but I think he'll improve a lot from what he's done at home. I thought if he was able to win his maiden today and he looked nice that I might pitch him into something like the Flying Childers.” “He's quick, he'd get six furlongs I'd say, but he has a lot of speed and there is no point trying to tame it. I'm not trying to talk him up, but I honestly don't know where the bottom of him is.” We will certainly find out where the bottom of Francis Meynell is in this traditionally hot contest, but he looks like an each-way play at early quotes of 14/1 with bet365. The favourite, Big Evs, flopped when pitched in against older horses in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes last time and will find this a lot easier back against his own age group and with cut in the ground. Aidan O’Brien, who saddles Broome in the Doncaster Cup, also runs Battle Cry in the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes over seven furlongs. Battle Cry was successful on his previous visit to the UK when landing his Maiden at York last month. The form of that victory doesn’t look particularly strong and he will need to improve again to prevail here. A more likely winner is Owen Burrow’s course and distance scorer War Rooms. This son of Churchill looked above average when a wide-margin winner here in July and can use this race as a stepping stone to higher class contests next season. The penultimate race on today’s card, the Doncaster Groundworks Reinforcements Handicap, is a typically difficult puzzle to solve with the dozen runners all holding some chance on their best form. One such horse that might be worth siding with is the top weight, Gweedore. He is admirably consistent, having won or placed in 25 of his previous 48 races, but did run well below par when trailing home in rear at Thirsk two weeks ago. Prior to that heavy defeat Gweedore had won his previous two starts, including over this course and distance, and on balance it is likely that he will bounce back here with another decent effort.
