Course scorer The Lark
could have her first start since June in the £90,000 Group Two DFS Park Hill
Stakes (3.15pm, 16 entries) over an extended mile and six furlongs on the
second day of Doncaster's Ladbrokes St Leger Festival, DFS Ladies' Day,
Thursday, September 12.
The Michael Bell-trained
three-year-old was last seen finishing fifth in the Group Two Prix de Mallaret
over 12 furlongs at Saint-Cloud, France, on June 23. That came on the back of
an eye-catching third to Talent in the Investec Oaks at Epsom Downs on May 31.
The daughter of Pivotal
boasts winning form at Doncaster, having captured a mile maiden on Town Moor in
October, 2012.
Bell reported: "The
DFS Park Hill Stakes is a possibility for The Lark, but I need to speak to the
owner (Lady Bamford) and monitor the ground as she has other options in the
Prix Vermeille and a Listed race at Saint-Cloud.
"There was no pace
when she ran at Saint-Cloud but she is in very good form at the moment. Like
most of her siblings, she prefers a bit of cut in the ground and she has been
all dressed up with nowhere to go.
"She hasn't had her
ground but the forecast suggests the ground could be coming in her favour.
"I trained her dam
Gull Wing and she won over a mile and six, so she is bred to stay, but you
never quite know until you try."
Bell could also be
represented in the race for fillies and mares over the St Leger distance by Bite
Of The Cherry. The four-year-old daughter of Dalakhani was a respectable
sixth last year and finished second in a Listed handicap at Chester on August
31.
Bell added: "Bite Of
The Cherry is at home on faster ground and it's a bit of a speculative entry
for her but she ran well last year and, depending on how the race shapes up, we
might let her take her chance."
The 16 entries for the
"fillies' St Leger" also include Irish and Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Venus
De Milo, trained by Aidan O'Brien, as well as high-class dual-purpose
performer Unaccompanied from the stable of Dermot Weld.
James Fanshawe is in
tremendous form and could saddle progressive Newbury scorer Seal Of Approval,
while other possibles include the Hughie Morrison-trained Coquet, French
import Jehannedarc and Marco Botti's Souviens Toi.
Thursday's action also
features the £60,000 Group Three Japan Racing Association Sceptre Stakes
(2.10pm) over seven furlongs. Royal Ascot heroine Annecdote, trained by
Jonathan Portman, got the better of Winning Express in the Group Three
Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood and the pair could reoppose.
The seven-race card gets
underway at 1.40pm with the £30,000 EBF Carrie Red Fillies' Nursery (31
entries) over an extended six furlongs, while the most valuable race of the
day, the £300,000 Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Stakes (2.40pm, 119
confirmations), is run over the same distance.
O'Brien has entered John
Constable, an un-raced brother to leading Ladbrokes St Leger fancy Leading
Light in the £12,000 Crownhotel-Bawtry.com EBF Maiden (3.50pm, 28 entries),
while a total of 65 entries have been received for the six-furlong £15,000
Download The Ladbrokes Bingo App Handicap (4.25pm).
The final contest of the
day is the £25,000 DFS Handicap (5.00pm, 21 entries) over an extended mile and
a quarter.
Going
The going at Doncaster has
changed to Good, Good to Firm in places (from Good to Firm, Firm in
places).
Roderick Duncan, Clerk of
the Course at Doncaster, explained: "Since 8.00am this morning, we have
had 10 millimetres of rain which has eased the going.
"The current forecast
mentions the possibility of further showers, which could continue through to
Tuesday.
"We had baking
weather at Doncaster yesterday but conditions have really turned around
today."
About the
Ladbrokes St Leger Festival
The Ladbrokes St Leger
Festival is the jewel in the crown of horseracing in Yorkshire and the
showpiece of Doncaster's social calendar. Racegoers enjoy a delightful blend of
history, quality racing and live entertainment across the four-day racing
extravaganza. The 2013 renewal takes place from Wednesday, September 11 through
to Saturday, September 14 inclusive.
Since the first running of
the St Leger in 1776, racegoers from all over the country have been drawn to
Doncaster to capture a taste of the unique atmosphere.
The famous Festival is one
of the highlights of the Flat racing calendar. The crescendo builds to Saturday,
when the flagship event - the illustrious Ladbrokes St Leger - takes
centre-stage.
The meeting also features
a number of high-class supporting races, highlights being the Crown Hotel
Bawtry Scarbrough Stakes on the Crown Hotel Bawtry Opening Day (Wednesday), the
DFS Park Hill Stakes on DFS Ladies' Day (Thursday), the Speedy Services
Doncaster Cup on Friday and the At The Races Champagne Stakes and OLBG Park
Stakes on Saturday.
To book tickets, please
contact Doncaster Racecourse on 01302 304200 or go to www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk
Doncaster Racecourse's
dedicated Ladbrokes St Leger microsite can be found at www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk/st-leger
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