Sunday horse racing tips: Best bets for Doncaster and the Curragh

It’s the final day of the St Leger Festival and fresh from tipping the 2/1 winner of Saturday’s ‘Classic’, Scandinavia and suggesting you back Fantasy Believer at 10/1, another success, our racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge brings us his horse racing tips with a focus on Doncaster’s Sunday card.

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Sunday Racing Tips

• Royal Velvet (Doncaster, 15.00) – 0.5pts each-way @ 7/1 bet365
• Shuwari (Doncaster, 16.10) – 0.5pts each-way @ 9/2 William Hill
• Super Saiyan (Doncaster, 16.40) – 0.5pts each-way @ 12/1 Unibet
• Gstaad (Curragh, 15.50) – 2pts win @ 5/6 bet365

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It's the final day of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster and day two of the Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh on Sunday. Let's take a look at the latest odds on betting sites and my four best bets from those meetings.

Betfred 'The Classic Bookmaker' Handicap (Doncaster, 15.00)

A competitive contest on paper although many of this sizeable field come into the race exposed and are probably going to need to put up their best effort to win.

That may also be the case with Royal Velvet, but I like her chances. William Knight’s string are in decent form and she comes into the race on the back of a Class 2 fillies’ handicap success at York’s Ebor meeting.

She showed a good attitude that day and was good value for a one length success. She showsed sufficient pace to think that this slightly shorter trip won’t inconvenience her.

The one unknown is the ground, as she’s largely raced on a sound surface but perhaps slightly slower conditions can also help her, in that they’ll place a greater emphasis on the stamina we know she possesses. At the prices on horse racing betting sites, I think we can take that chance and back her each-way.

Sunday racing tip 1: Royal Velvet (Doncaster, 15.00) – 0.5pts each-way @ 7/1 bet365

Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies' Stakes (Doncaster, 16.10)

A wide open market on betting apps, reflecting the usual nature of this race, in which only one of the last 10 favourites has obliged and there have been four winners with double-figure prices.

Putting up one of the joint market leaders at the time of writing, therefore, carries risks, but I’m siding with Shuwari in this 7f contest.

Ollie Sangster has given this filly plenty of time since she switched to his care following a lengthy absence. That patience paid dividends last time out in France, when she justified favouritism to win the Listed Prix de la Cochere from the rear of the field, under Mikael Barzalona.

That was on very soft ground and over 1m but she’s proven on a sound surface too. If the deluge forecast for Sunday arrives before racing, she will relish slower conditions and the return to this trip should be no problem, as jockey Daniel Muscutt can probably sit in behind what should be a faster pace and bring her stamina into play as the race unfolds.

Sunday racing tip 2: Shuwari (Doncaster, 16.10) – 0.5pts each-way @ 5/1 William Hill

IPM Group Handicap (Doncaster, 16.40)

Another open heat where it’s possible to pick holes in the form of all the leading players, while any of them could prove good enough if on a ‘going day’.

However, it could be worth taking a pot shot with the totally unexposed Super Saiyan, who hung away his chance in better company on his handicap debut at York last time. He’d previously shown plenty of pace when making all to win a 6f novice here on fast ground last month and this looks a more sensible level at which to test him.

Billy Aprahamian is a relatively recent licensee among the training ranks and so far, so good, as far as he is concerned. He’s decided that a tongue-tie could help his Night Of Thunder gelding this time and at 12/1 at the time of writing, he’s a sporting each-way play.

Sunday racing tip 3: Super Saiyan (Doncaster, 16.40) – 0.5pts each-way @ 12/1 Unibet

Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (Curragh, 15.50)

Meanwhile, over at the Curragh, our old friend Gstaad is back in action in the Group 1 National Stakes and he is a confident choice to continue a superb juvenile campaign.

A decisive winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, he did have his colours lowered by Venetian Sun in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville last time, when he looked as though a step up in trip would suit.

Outpaced at a vital point of the contest, he was doing his best work at the finish over 6f that day and failed by just a short neck to peg back the winner. He’ll be short enough to win this race but he’s the best horse in it and has the potential for further improvement over this distance.

Sunday racing tip 4: Gstaad (Curragh, 15.50) – 2pts win @ 5/6 bet365

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