Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 1 Tips: 5/1 Mistral stars in Thursday’s four

The four-day Betfred St Leger Festival gets underway at Doncaster on Thursday with an eight-race card - running from 13:50-17:50 - that features a couple of Group 2 contests.

My Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 1 tips includes one in the second of those, plus another three across the afternoon.

13:50 - Eartha @ 9/1

We begin with a 16-runner fillies' nursery over 6½f that can go to EARTHA for Richard Fahey.

The two-year-old made a promising start to her career in a same-sex maiden over the minimum trip at Thirsk in May, finding only Bountiful - now rated 99 - too good, before getting off the mark when upped slightly in trip at Wetherby the following month.

Despite the winning margin of just a neck, she was well on top at the line and so I'm not sure dropping back to five furlongs was the right move on her return from an 84-day layoff at Southwell a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless, it was a solid run and improvement ought to follow both for fitness and for tackling the longest distance of her short career so far.

In a wide-open affair, she rates good value to kick things off.

This is an Extra Place Race, with five available instead of four at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets. Betfred are also offering your stake back (up to £10) as a free bet if your selection finishes 2nd.

14:25 - Hallasan @ 13/2

Next up is the £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes, which is also run over an extended six furlongs.

I like the claims of HALLASAN for Charlie Appleby.

The son of Pinatubo - my favourite flat horse of all time - was very popular in the betting ahead of his debut at Newmarket back in April, but he could only manage third in a race that's worked out well.

He failed to build on the promise shown there when third again at Ascot a month later, which led to a gelding operation followed by a 56-day break.

Godolphin's £180k purchase was a solid second to the 103-rated Mr Lightside on his return at Nottingham, before a duck-breaking triumph at the same course but over a furlong further just weeks later.

He made a strong impression at Colwick Park under Dougie Costello, who said his mount "probably could have won hands and heels" and suggested the gelding should be even better next time.

William Buick takes back the reins on Thursday and with improvement expected he has every right to make a bold bid in this company.

This is an Extra Place Race, with five available instead of four at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets.

15:35 - Mistral Star @ 5/1

The second of two Group 2s on the card is the Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes over 1m6½f. Ten go to post for what rates another wide-open event.

Night Sparkle has been very consistent all season and Scenic is in the form of her life right now, but MISTRAL STAR is the one to beat for me.

Hughie Morrison's four-year-old Frankel filly made huge progress at three, rising from a mark of 80 to 100 in the space of just two runs last summer, and she's continued to progress this term.

After a couple of solid efforts at Ayr and Haydock, she was a comfortable Listed winner at Newmarket in July before finishing a highly-respectable fourth, beaten five-and-a-half lengths, in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks at last month's Ebor Festival.

That's strong form - as strong as anything boasted by her nine rivals this year - and she shapes like stepping up to 1m6f will really suit.

With William Buick in the plate again, she's the bet for me.

16:40 - Spell Master @ 7/2

My final fancy for the opening day of the Betfred St Leger Festival is Andrew Balding's SPELL MASTER in this seven-furlong nursery handicap.

The son of former 2000 Guineas hero Kameko has improved with every one of his four runs to date, which includes a dead-heat success in a competitive maiden at Glorious Goodwood last month.

He then showed that an opening mark of 86 was fair by finishing 4/17, beaten under three lengths, in a nursery at York's Ebor Festival a few weeks ago. That rating is unchanged, which looks rather generous when you consider the reopposing Qaseem, who was only a length-and-a-half in front of the selection on the Knavesmire, has been raised four pounds.

I'm hopeful that form can be reversed, especially if the first-time cheekpieces bring more out of Spell Master who I think emerges favourably when compared to his other five rivals.

This is an Extra Place Race, with three available instead of two at 1/5 the odds for all each-way bets.

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