Nap of the Day: Owen’s best bet for Day 2 of the Betfred St Leger Festival

 | Thursday 11th September 2025, 17:19pm

Thursday 11th September 2025, 17:19pm

What a start to the Betfred St Leger Festival for Nap of the Day followers. Our 13/2 selection bolted up on Thursday, extending our recent record to six from eight.

We return to Doncaster on Friday bidding for more success - specifically in the feature race of the afternoon.

Nap of the Day - Friday, September 12

  • 15:00 Doncaster - Sweet William @ 11/8

*odds correct at time of publication

It's not exciting, but I can't entertain SWEET WILLIAM getting beat in the Doncaster Cup on Friday.

John & Thady Gosden's six-year-old is currently odds-against for the Group 2 contest, but I don't expect him to be for long. In fact, I'll be surprised if he's not odds-on by the off.

The son of Sea The Stars is winless in five starts since taking this prize last year, but it's fair to say he's been keeping extremely good company.

Eight-time Group 1 winner Kyprios, £11m-in-prize-money Rebel's Romance, Gold Cup hero Trawlerman and Betfred St Leger favourite Scandinavia - that's the calibre of horse he's been lining up against.

So, the fact he's enjoyed just two wins in as many years isn't the negative some might make it out to be. A better way to look at it is that he's never been out of the top four in his career to date. Consistency personified.

I see no reason why he won't run to form again on Friday - and there's no Kyprios, Rebel's Romance, Trawlerman or Scandinavia to beat this time.

Instead, there's Sunway, a declining Coltrane and Tashkhan, and some new kids on the block with everything to prove.

The former is undoubtedly the main danger as far as I'm concerned. He was less than a length behind Sweet William in the Goodwood Cup in July, so in theory doesn't have much to find.

However, I think the extra two furlongs and softer ground plays very much into our favour, so I'm confident about that form being confirmed.

Sunway deserves to be shorter than Hipop De Loire in my book. I can't understand the price of that one. Willie Mullins is a genius, but the eight-year-old has just shy of 10lbs to make up.

Pendragon, Kyle Of Lochalsh and Oxford Comma - particularly the latter - also require a significant amount of improvement as they make the step up to Group class.

As I wrote at the start, I simply can't see past Sweet William here.

15:00 Doncaster - Winner
Sweet William

Odds correct at time of publishing.

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