blogdoncaster st leger festival 2025 day 3 champagne stakes park stakes 13 september

Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 Day 3 Preview – Group 2 Champagne & Park Stakes on Card Before Final Classic

11 September 2025
Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Betting Expert
Michael has worked in the sports betting industry for many years. Following football, horse racing and track and field athletics, he has covered the last three Olympic Games, World Cups and other major sporting events.
All posts by Michael Lee
Betting Expert

We independently review betting sites. Sign-ups through our links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, this never influences our listings’ order.

Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3 preview

The biggest races on the Flat at Town Moor take place on the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3 card on Saturday, 13 September. Everything builds to the oldest of the five British Classics at the Yorkshire track, but the supporting races aren’t too shabby either.

A couple of Group 2s in the build-up to the St Leger of 2025 over seven furlongs see horses of different ages take to the Straight Course. Following a mile handicap that opens proceedings, there’s the Champagne Stakes for juvenile colts and geldings. Sandwiched between that and the Park Stakes for older horses, is the Portland Handicap, a sprint for an extended five furlongs.

Picking out winners of these events on the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3 card is easier said than done. Straight Courses come with the accursed draw bias, but that’s nothing new to our experts. It’s simply a cross they have to bear when making their Saturday selections for the best of the action on Town Moor.

Looking at all that for you is part and parcel of their job. They know all the form and combine that information with the best horse racing bookmakers‘ prices available online. We know that punters like you go after value in races. Read our experts’ thoughts and analysis on the top handicaps and Pattern races from the card below…

Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 Day 3 Preview for Saturday, 13 September

1:15 – 1m Class 2 Handicap

Michael Geoghegan silks A competitive opener, but the market has found the right favourite in Simon & Ed Crisford’s TREBLE TEE following two narrow seconds on easier tracks. Although nudged up 4lb for neck and half-length defeats in the Thirsk Summer Cup and around Goodwood, this Persian King gelding wants the stiffer test of this Straight Mile and some cut in the ground. He should get both under Oisin Murphy.

Three-year-olds have won this six times in the last eight seasons, so Treble Tee also fits that profile. Getting 5lb weight for age this deep into the season also aids the younger generation’s cause. Hawksbill and Point Of Contact are others from that age bracket to consider with Hugo Palmer saddling the former, who has is a similar story to the selection. Up 5lb for seconds at Haydock and Chester, Hawksbill could have more to offer over this course and distance.

Point Of Contact hasn’t tried a Straight Mile for Andrew Balding yet, but it might help him. There are older horses to consider, meanwhile, including last year’s second Bopedro off 2lb higher. The David O’Meara veteran has hit the frame five times this season despite his advanced age of nine. David Simcock has his team in good order and saddles topweight Cash in a handicap for the first time.

It’s hard to believe a six-year-old like him hasn’t explored this route before, but now is as good a time as any with the yard going so well. William Knight’s Atlantic Gamble, who went close around Yarmouth, and Oliver Cole runner Great Chieftain complete a long shortlist of hopefuls. The latter might just be in the grip of the handicapper now, but is 3lb better off with Treble Tee from Goodwood now.

1:50 – 7f Group 2 Champagne Stakes (Colts & Geldings)

Zhang Yuesheng silks If ever a race suffers from proximity to a Group 1 over the same distance, then it’s this one on the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3 card 24 hours before the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh. In the absence of some big guns who held initial entries, this should be a good chance for GEWAN to follow-up on his Group 3 Acomb Stakes success from York. Balding’s unbeaten Night Of Thunder colt has no problem with a Straight course.

Impressive Sandown winner Oxagon can give the selection something to think about with the runner-up coming out and going on better around Kempton since. John & Thady Gosden’s son of Frankel was only fifth to Distant Storm on debut and, although improving since, Gewan beat that one on the Knavesmire.  There’s also some substance to the French form posted by Cape Orator with the second and fifth from Deauville subsequently landing handicaps.

Ralph Beckett’s charge isn’t out of this either on the upgrade. Although the Ayr maiden won by Cape Ashizuri has worked out really well, there’s a feeling that John & Sean Quinn pitch their St Mark’s Basilica colt in deep here. Aidan O’Brien seeks a first win with Puerto Rico, meanwhile, and his Group 2 seconds from the Curragh and Goodwood over six furlongs suggest he’s no forlorn hope either.

2:25 – 5f 143y Class 2 Portland Handicap

Amo Racing silks Yet another sprint handicap that is the stuff of tipping nightmares with the spectre of draw bias hovering over it. A middle-to-high draw has been where most recent winners came from in this Town Moor cavalry charge. Two of the last four first past the post came from low numbers, however, and based on the revised weights from York, ROMAN DRAGON could run a big race in the big betting heat on Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3.

Palmer’s charge was nearest at the finish and only three lengths behind Trefor in sixth. Air Force One split them in third, but Roman Dragon now meets his old rivals off 5lb and 3lb better terms, respectively. It could well be enough to turn the tables on both, who are well-found in the market on the best betting sites in the UK. Also prominent in this wide-open event is last year’s runner-up Apollo One (1lb lower) and Addison Grey.

Clive Cox’s charge won the novelty Grey Horse Handicap last time, but had a 7lb claimer aboard, so his rise is effectively 12lb. Jim Goldie won this 12 month ago with American Affair, so tries to land the spoils again with Eternal Sunshine. He’s developing a good partnership with stable apprentice Lauren Young, who takes 7lb off with her claim, as the pair seek a hat-trick. Jordan Electrics also represents the yard.

Any number of others have chances. Handicap debutant DIABLO ROJO had the form of his Commonwealth Cup Trial second franked in spades when the winner, Big Mojo, landed the Haydock Sprint Cup last Saturday. He’s one of the more interesting runners here. Robert Cowell pair Rhythm N Hooves and Jakajaro (in first-time cheekpieces) join Rosario and Venture Capital in having a shout.

3:00 – 7f Group 2 Park Stakes

TBT Racing silks Much depends on whether 2024 Dewhurst hero Shadow Of Light stages a revival. As a three-year-old, Charlie Appleby’s charge receives 4lb weight for age from his elders on Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3. While he will like the ground, there’s another who’s been waiting for a softer surface, and that’s TEN BOB TONY. Ed Walker’s charge beat dual Park winner Kinross in the John Of Gaunt over this trip at Haydock on rain-softened ground.

Ten Bob Tony could have a fruitful autumn campaign after being held back for the cut in underfoot going he now receives. Criterion Stakes 1-2 Quinault and Room Service take each other on again with the latter a course winner on soft for Kevin Ryan. Marvelman, meanwhile, is another three-year-old who could have improvement in him following his Hungerford Stakes third to the progressive More Thunder.

If David Marnane’s East Hampton reproduced his neck second in this grade to subsequent Prix Jacques Le Marois hero Diego Velazquez, then he could outrun his odds for the younger generation. His pedigree suggests he should be a strong stayer over this trip, though. It’s difficult to know what to expect from Audience or King’s Gamble these days, meanwhile, and the latter has first-time blinkers on.

3:40 – 1m 6f 115y Group 1 St Leger (Colts & Fillies)

Carmers silks Seven runners and four Irish raiders in the final Classic. From those, preference is for CARMERS who won the Queen’s Vase despite being in front a long time. Paddy Twomey’s charge turned away re-opposing pair Furthur and Rahiebb with subsequent Goodwood Cup hero Scandinavia, another taking him on in the feature of the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2025 day 3 again, back in fifth.

Carmers wasn’t disgraced when runner-up carrying a penalty in the Great Voltigeur off a slow pace either. The winner, Pride Of Arras, had landed the Dante at York earlier in the campaign. Carmers had Stay True and Lambourn back in fourth and fifth behind him. Billy Lee is fit after a broken collarbone to reprise their partnership now, so he’s the one to be on.

Ballydoyle has a strong hand as it always does in this race with dual Derby hero Lambourn and Scandinavia obvious threats. The former galloped the field into the ground at Epsom before a less impressive performance in the Irish equivalent. With Scandinavia, there’s a risk that he’s exposed his stamina with that Goodwood Cup success. Furthur looks best of the British trio by some way with stable companion Tarriance in very deep waters now stepping out of handicaps.

Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Betting Expert
Michael Lee
Betting Expert

Michael has worked in the sports betting industry for many years. Following football, horse racing and track and field athletics, he has covered the last three Olympic Games, World Cups and other major sporting events.

Was this article helpful?
0

Recent Posts