More Group 2 action headlines the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 2 card on Town Moor on Friday, 12 September. It’s the Flying Childers Stakes for juvenile sprinters, plus one of the oldest races in the calendar in the long-distance Doncaster Cup.
Supporting those Pattern races from the Yorkshire track are a couple of decent handicaps. The Mallard Handicap kicks things off over the Leger course and distance, while middle-distance fillies tackle a mile-and-a-half event later on. In amongst all that, there’s another juvenile race with Listed status in the Flying Scotsman Stakes.
Friday fancies from these five Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 2 events are just what you’re looking for. Our experts can oblige as we set them to reading up on what’s in the form book, plus the value prices on horse racing betting sites in the UK for the best contests on the card.
Their tried and tested approach yields winners on a regular basis for the best races around the world. Let’s see who they like on this particular card and why. Our experts’ analysis takes you right to the heart of what lies behind their thinking, so read on for more from this fixture…
Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 Day 2 Preview for Friday, 12 September
1:15 – 1m 6f 115y Class 2 Mallard Handicap (0-105)
Sam Hawkens gamely lands the @Coral Summer Handicap pic.twitter.com/iu36klUwZa
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) August 2, 2025
Dermot Weld books William Buick for the ride on this Dubawi colt that previously chanced his arm in Group races. An unchanged mark of 98 looks workable for Duraji, a full-brother to Ghaiyyath, and he could capitalise on three rivals racing from out of the handicap here. Of those, Synergism is expected to fare best, according to the market.
He’s 3lb out of the weights for Sir Mark Prescott and Luke Morris. Promethian, meanwhile, gets round a similar problem with David Menuisier booking 5lb claimer Warren Fentiman. Jim Goldie does the same with stable apprentice Amy Waugh offsetting Midnight Lion being 3lb wrong after they combined with last year’s winner Faylaq.
Of the others, Lucy Wadham saw Arqoob pop up at Newmarket last time and he could go well again off 5lb, for all his record of backing a race up isn’t great. Ian Williams had a number of his Flat staying handicappers entered before final decs, but relies solely on Beylerbeyi. He notched a hat-trick over the summer, but went up more than a stone from 76 to his current mark of 91 and the assessor may have caught up with him.
1:50 – Listed 7f Flying Scotsman Stakes
🇬🇧 British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes @yorkracecourse
York – Classe 2 – 2 ans – 1408m – 15 Pts – 98 370 £🏆Frescobaldi (m) (Ire) 🏇Ryan-L Moore
📖(No Nay Never (Usa) @coolmorestud – Kodiva (Ire) par Kodiac (Gb))🕶️A P O’Brien
🎩J Magnier/M… pic.twitter.com/j3jS5icijf— French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) August 22, 2025
Hard to rule many out with Godolphin and TBT Racing both running a couple. Charlie Appleby and Roger Varian saddle up for the Boys in Blue with Catullus posting an improved effort each time. He beat nothing around Yarmouth when long odds-on and his Sandown second to Publish saw the winner bested at Haydock last Saturday. Avicenna scored over course and distance, meanwhile, but the form has been let down since.
Ed Walker pair Do Or Do Not and Northern Champion have different profiles. The former has plenty of experience and runs at a higher level under his belt, but never seems to go through with it. Northern Champion, meanwhile, has seen the runner-up from Deauville go one better at Ascot and is much less exposed. One who really looked like he’d find the straight seven furlongs on Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 2 just fine, however, is FRESCOBALDI.
Aidan O’Brien saw him land the Convivial Maiden at York three weeks ago. Frescobaldi can hang a bit, but battled back in really likeable fashion when briefly headed on the Knavesmire. A big danger to the selection, however, is another York winner in Hankelow. Karl Burke’s charge could’ve been laid out for this and the fourth has scored since.
At bigger odds, don’t rule out decent runs from Andrew Balding’s Sir Albert, who tries to progress out of handicaps seeking a four-timer, and Marco Botti runner Sunset On Leros. The latter is another course and distance winner who pulled almost three lengths clear of the runner-up and that one bolted in next time. Amo Racing’s Do Bronxs had pacemaker duties last time, so needs to prove his stamina.
2:25 – 5f Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes
👏 2YO REVIVAL POWER is decisive in the Listed Roses Stakes @yorkracecourse for Tim Easterby & King Power Racing 🏆
By Bungle Inthejungle (@RathaskerStud), she was sourced #GoffsOrby from Newlands House Stud by @SackvilleDonald 📚#GoffsGrad pic.twitter.com/QjSyEbhExq
— Goffs (@Goffs1866) August 23, 2025
Big Evs had no issue after struggling when pitched into open company at York, then back to juveniles only, but he didn’t have the travel to and from the Emerald Isle. Havana Hurricane looked a fast horse when beating Dickensian in the Windsor Castle during Royal Ascot, but then tried to plunder a valuable Sales race at Newbury before Goodwood and won neither.
REVIVAL POWER held off re-opposing Roses Stakes runner-up Military Code at York, meanwhile, and had Kevin Ryan’s horse back in third. One of two representing Tim Easterby, she showed plenty of speed too. With that Listed win on the Knavesmire under her belt, Revivial Power has to go into a Group race now, but this demands further improvement from her.
Easterby’s other runner, Argentine Tango, should be happier dropping back to this trip after clearly not staying six furlongs last time. She finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Lady Imam in the Group 3 Molecomb during Glorious Goodwood, but now meets the winner on 3lb worse terms and that makes her task much harder. The others need career bests just to get in the frame.
3:00 – 2m 2f Group 2 Doncaster Cup
Although the market with online bookmakers suggests 2024 Leger third Sunway and two-time Ebor flop Hipop De Loire are the biggest dangers, Goodwood Handicap winner Kyle Of Lochalsh could have conditions to suit. Hughie Morrison’s charge likes cut in the ground and reversed Pontefract form from last autumn with Oxford Comma in that marathon race last time out.
Although now 7lb worse off with Ralph Beckett’s filly, her disappointing effort in the Park Hill Stakes at this meeting last season sticks in the memory. It could be that Kyle Of Lochalsh has improved or that Oxford Comma will strip much fitter for her Goodwood reappearance now. She’s won here before, as has Pendragon who, as a three-year-old, gets weight all-round. Only three from the younger generation have won this since 1989, however.
Balding veteran Coltrane took this back in 2022, but hasn’t looked the force of old. Now an eight-year-old, he arrives off cashing in on Listed success at Sandown, but has ground to make up on Sweet William. Brian Ellison’s Tashkhan completes the line-up and won over this trip around Chester in the autumn of 2023. He was no match for Kyle Of Lochalsh on his return to action at Goodwood.
3:35 – 1m 4f Class 2 Premier Fillies’ Handicap (0-100)
Perfect Your Craft remains open to plenty of further progress after just three career starts and this longer trip holds no fears on pedigree. She does have to contend with hat-trick seeking Cape Flora, who made all at York last time. The Gosdens’ charge has a further 9lb hike here now, however, and that means the handicapper has raised her mark almost a stone-and-a-half (20lb) for consecutive victories.
Also bang in form is Bosphorous Rose, turned out quickly under a 6lb penalty by Prescott. She’s 3lb well-in on future assignments, though, and goes for a four-timer over the trip following wins at Epsom, Catterick and Thirsk in the Hambleton Cup. This thriving filly appears to be a cut-above Class 4 company that she’s been running in of late.
Chilli Queen a Contender
Emma Lavelle also has a mile-and-a-half hat-trick heroine in the line-up courtesy of Chilli Queen. Up 12lb for three back-to-back wins, the form of her latest success from Ascot was franked when the runner-up, Crepe Suzette, filled the same spot in a Listed race at York. With that one now on a mark of 98 and the pair meeting off level weights in Berkshire, Chilli Queen thus looks well-treated off 84.
If one of the last time out winners doesn’t oblige, and that number also includes Manara and Ryka, handicap debutante Little Dorrit was an unlucky in-running fifth in the Listed race that Crepe Suzette finished second in. Varian’s filly has had just three career starts and begins life in this sphere down in Class off an opening mark of 93. Three-year-olds have a terrific record in this event, so it’s no wonder they dominate the market.
Older females are more difficult to make cases for. Not only are they more exposed, but they concede 8lb weight for age to the younger generation. Manara needs more upped in Class than her late Brighton Challenge Cup success in this higher calibre race, however. Ryka is three from six for David O’Meara, meanwhile, and might stay the mile-and-a-half.
