Friday Racing Tips: Take a Quantum Leap at Doncaster

Another exciting day of racing action ahead with the Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster once more taking centre stage.

The Doncaster Cup (15:00) is the main dish on Friday as Coltrane defends his crown, with further Flat meetings from Chester, Salisbury and Sandown are joined by jumps cards from Ballinrobe and Downpatrick in Ireland.

Amongst our trio of Friday fancies is Quantum Leap for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy in the Betfred Mallard Handicap at Doncaster.

Quantum Leap – 15:35 Doncaster @ 6/1

Soft conditions are going to play into the hands of The Goat for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy, the partnership likely going for a big-race double if Coltrane obliges in the Doncaster Cup, and he’s feared greatly alongside Bague D’or but a chance is taken on QUANTUM LEAP for Ed Bethell in the Betfred Mallard Handicap.

He made a winning handicap bow over this sort of trip at Haydock in July and things didn’t pan out ideally for him since at Nottingham over two-miles in a hot race. Back down in trip, he may resume his progress now with a mark of 87 likely within his scope before long.

This slight drop back in trip should be optimal for the lightly-raced son of New Approach.

Baez – 15:20 Chester @ 4/1

Jim Goldie’s filly BAEZ has really found her best stuff lately and can make her first visit to the Roodee a winning one in the Envirosips Handicap over two-miles in the hands of Paul Mulrennan.

The daughter of Sixties Icon has developed a real air of consistency since her stamina was put to the test, running a succession of good races before getting on the scoresheet at Catterick over this trip in July.

She followed up at York the same month and comes here off the back of another win, in the Portobello Cup at Musselburgh (2m2f, good to firm) in August.

That margin was a neck there but she arguably had more in hand and a 3lb rise may not prevent further success.

Silver Samurai – 16:25 Sandown @ 6/1

Jamie Spencer is booked to partner SILVER SAMURAI for trainer Marco Botti in the Christophe Duchamp Grand Mont Handicap at Sandown and they could be ideal bedfellows.

The son of Cable Bay comes into this off the back of winning the Grey Horse Handicap at Newmarket last month, ending a sequence of 11 starts without a win in doing so.

The assessor has put him up 5lb for that but this mark of 92 is one he has won from before. He was always handily placed amongst 14 rivals in that Newmarket contest but his best efforts in the past have come when produced late and, as such, the booking of Spencer can see them thrive in this Sandown event.