The Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 1 card has a lot of juvenile races on it, but none more so than the Group 2 May Hill Stakes for fillies. Alongside some nursery handicaps and a valuable Sales race, the opening day of the big meeting on Town Moor also includes another Pattern event. That is the Park Hill Stakes for fillies and mares over the Leger course and distance.
With two Group 2s on the card, plus a handicap open to three-year-olds, online horse racing bookmakers again have variety in their markets as this meeting begins. When it comes to this Yorkshire track, we know punter prefer the best of the action on the card each day of the fixture.
That is why our experts focus on the best races from the St Leger Festival 2025 day 1 card with the Sales race and two Group 2s. These offer competition, big fields and the most interesting horses lining up on Town Moor. Thanks to leafing through the form book, and looking at the market, they come up with some fancies.
Making the case for these runners, plus highlighting and shortlisting any dangers is food and drink to our experts. Autumn may now be on its way and softer conditions appearing underfoot, but they factor all that into their thinking. Read the latest analysis on the main four races from this card below…
Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 Day 1 Preview for Thursday, 11 September
1:50 – 6f 111y Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes Sale Race
There is Sales race form on offer here from York where Song Of The Clyde prevailed for Clive Cox, who also saddles Inca Heights. The former takes on re-opposing sixth Golden Brown, seventh Kamakamelon and 11th Tadej, who carries topweight after a previous Group 3 win in France. Owen Burrows’ Calendar Girl has won over a straight seven furlongs, so won’t mind this track.
Rising Empire looks as though he may have been laid out for this, meanwhile. Contenders and hopefuls just keep on coming. Last time out winners Poatan and Slay Queen are worth a second look, alongside Mr Seagull for Hugo Palmer. Battle Apple finished second on his only racecourse outing so far for Richard Hannon, so could still have improvement in him.
At even bigger odds, Gaga Mate who dead-heated for third in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury over the minimum trip could make progress upped to this distance for George Scott. Beverley specialist Lady Britain seeks her hat-trick, but should be a strong stayer at this distance, for all this is a massive step up in class for her. As with all Sales races, it’s something of a minefield with draw bias lurking at every turn.
2:25 – 1m Group 2 May Hill Stakes (Fillies)
Sir Mark Prescott saddles Moon Target for Cheveley Park Stud in the Pattern juvenile fillies race from the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 1 fixture. Although she landed the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood, re-opposing third AYLIN looks a value alternative, given her troubled passage through that race. One of two in the line-up for Karl Burke, this daughter of St Mark’s Basilica should appreciate the extra furlong as well.
Aylin also has an Aidan O’Brien runner to contend with in Sugar Island, but she may need even further than this Straight Mile test already. Owner Jaber Abdullah launches a three-pronged attack on the May Hill, meanwhile, and once-raced pair Rose Ghaiyyath and Samra Green could be anything after racecourse debut victories.
Charlie Johnston trains his other filly in the field, but also Venetian Lace who has run in a number of decent juvenile events this season. As a daughter of Masar, going up to a mile can only help her fourth and third place efforts in the Superlative Stakes and Sweet Solera on Newmarket’s July Course. Pacific Mission won on the All-Weather around a bend last time, but now faces a different test entirely.
3:00 – 1m 6f 115y Group 2 Park Hill Stakes (Fillies & Mares)
Charlotte’s Web gives Daniel Tudhope the final victory on Day 2 in the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes 🥇 pic.twitter.com/xqv2ISeqXa
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 21, 2025
Softer going shouldn’t be an issue for Crepe Suzette, based on her pedigree. A longer trip does need to bring out further improvement from her, though, because of older stable companion Danielle. She shaped as if needing the run when tiring close home in the Group 2 Lillie Langtry at Glorious Goodwood, but finishing second on her reappearance.
The issue four-year-old fillies and mares and up have in this event is conceding 9lb weight for age to the younger generation. It has proved decisive in each of the last five renewals of the Park Hill in favour of the youngsters. Deauville Group 3 second Consent stayed on well over an extended mile-and-a-half in France, so enters calculations as well.
William Haggas has York Stayers Handicap heroine Santorini Star down in distance but, on a form line through Island Hopping, should best Irish raider Elana Osario. As for the other three-year-olds, both Floresta and Secret Of Love need improvement. David O’Meara French import Strassia wouldn’t be a no-hoper if reproducing her Prix Chaudenay third from Arc Weekend against the boys here, but it’s a big ask on stable debut.
3:35 – 1m 2f Class 2 Handicap (0-105)
🇮🇹 142e Derby Italiano
Roma – Groupe 2 – 3 ans – 2200m – 18 Pts – 640 000 €🏆 🥇Molveno (m) 🏇Marco Ghiani
🥈Crazy Spirit
🥉Lao Tzu📖(Almanzor (Fr) @CambridgeStud – Clotilde (Gb) par Dubawi (Ire))
🕶️Botti Marco @MarcoBotti
🎩Sc. Sagam Srls pic.twitter.com/wJ5obat2SQ— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) June 2, 2025
It’s bizarre to see a Group 2 winner lining up in a handicap, but that’s what connections go for following a summer break. Molveno previously finished runner-up over a mile at Newmarket, but the form has worked out pretty well. Fort George, who beat him a length that day, has gone in again since. The fifth home has a couple of subsequent victories and finished runner-up in a Sunday Series handicap at York just the other day.
That ties Molveno’s collateral form in with Castle Stuart, who dead-heated for third on his debut for Richard Fahey. He was home just ahead of the winner from the York Sunday Series in the Steve Birch Finale that brought the curtain down on Ebor day. Haydock maiden scorer Respond now makes his handicap debut for Andrew Balding and is only 1lb out of the handicap, so gets in off a light weight. He could outrun his odds.
Devil’s Advocate finished fourth in the Dante earlier in the campaign, but now makes his bow in this sphere off second topweight for Godolphin and the Gosdens. Botti books Oisin Murphy on apparent second string Palazzo Blu, meanwhile, and he should be a strong stayer at this trip. A Classic winner in a handicap like Molveno is a most unusual sight.
