Doncaster Friday

Howard Wright Doncaster Cup (Group 2)

HIGHLIGHT of Friday’s card at the St Leger Festival at Doncaster was the Group 2 Doncaster Cup, this year run in honour of the late Howard Wright, who died last month after a long career in journalism. He started at Timeform in Halifax and had a long tenure at the Racing Post, where he was the founding news editor.

Wright was born in Doncaster and was present for every St Leger from 1948 until his death. The press room at the racecourse has also been renamed in his memory.

Sweet William (John and Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin) was a deserving winner of the Doncaster Cup, the 7/4 favourite having been placed behind Kyprios in both the Gold Cup at Ascot and the Goodwood Cup this summer.

He was confirming form with runner-up Trueshan (Alan King/Hollie Doyle), who has finished behind him on all five occasions the pair have met since Trueshan beat Sweet William in this corresponding event 12 months ago.

There was a length and a quarter between the pair last year, and a length this time around, but the pendulum was swung inexorably in favour of Sweet William.

Gregory cut out the early running with Sweet William needing to be rousted from the stalls to gain an early position. With the pace only modest, Hollie Doyle decided to make use of Trueshan’s stamina and sent him on passing the winning post on the first circuit.

The order then remained unchanged until Havlin moved Sweet William past the weakening Gregory at the three-furlong pole and he hit the front soon after, building up a three-length cushion with a furlong to run before Trueshan stayed on again to narrow the gap to a length at the line, aided by the winner idling in front.

Point Lonsdale (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) never threatened to win but closed up late for third, two and a quarter lengths behind the comprehensive winner.

Havlin said: “I kicked on early enough, but he was travelling so well I just thought ‘I’m just going to go for it and see what happens’.

“He seems to be getting better, but you mustn’t forget he had seven screws inserted in his leg when he was younger and you never know how that will affect them, mentally that can take its toll and with him there’s always a little seed in there that he might say: ‘not today, son’.”

Asterius has much Mojo

Aesterius (Archie Watson/James Doyle) reversed Molecomb Stakes form with Big Mojo (Mick Appleby/Silvestre de Sousa) to claim a narrow victory in the Group 3 Flying Childers Stakes.

The latter was trying to emulate Big Evs in winning at Goodwood and Doncaster for Appleby and owner Paul Teasdale but had to give best in the dying strides to the winner, who had followed his Molecomb defeat with victory in the Group 3 Prix D’Arenberg at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.

The margin of victory was a neck, with 11/4 favourite Magnum Force (Ger Lyons/Colin Keane) a length and a quarter behind in third. The winner was returned at 7/2 in a market where there was little to choose between the three who dominated the finish.

The field split into two (briefly three) groups with the smaller group of three runners including the winner and second, so it’s possible to mark Magnum Force as being a little unlucky with the draw, as he was when beaten by Tropical Storm at York last month.

He reversed form with that rival here, but any advantage gained by the front pair was marginal here.