Doncaster Sunday

1:00 Cazoo Handicap 6f 111yds

Juan Les Pins – for those of us who haven’t visited the French Riviera - may be most familiar as a lyric in Peter Sarstedt’s unique 1969 hit Where Do You Go To My Lovely, but the horse of that name may get his 15 minutes of fame in the Cazoo Handicap on Sunday, with Mick Appleby’s charge looking ideally suited by the likelihood of a very strong pace over this unusual six-and-a-half-furlong trip.

A hold-up performer equally adept at seven and six furlongs, and in the form of his life, Juan Les Pins should have this race teed up for him, and it will be disappointing if he can’t weave through late for a place or better.

1:35 Flying Childers Stakes (Group 2) 5f 3yds

Trillium, a homebred daughter of No Nay Never out of her owners’ Fillies’ Mile fourth Marsh Hawk, was an impressive winner of a Newbury novice on her penultimate start, and she built on that to show herself a Group 1 filly in winning the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood last time, nothing in that impressive effort to suggest she is flattered in any way.

If anything, the stiffer track at Doncaster will suit her even better, and she will have something to aim at with the speedy The Platinum Queen in opposition.

That filly ran a cracker to lead for a long way in the Nunthorpe last time, eventually finishing a creditable second to Highfield Princess.

A repeat of that will give her a good chance here, but she was inclined to drift to her left at York when tiring, and I can see Trillium pouncing on her outside if she repeats that quirk here.

2:10 Coral Portland Handicap 5f 143yds

A 10lb rise for winning at Ascot last weekend may not look ideal for Whenthedealinsdone, but Roger Teal’s gelding had fallen by almost the same amount since an excellent fifth in this contest 12 months ago, and his easy win last time merely showed how generous the handicapper had been in his prior assessment.

Whenthedealinsdone was unlucky in running at Ascot in July, when badly hampered as he was launching what looked a powerful run, and he has been back to form on his last two starts having struggled in the Stewards’ Cup.

Whenthedealinsdone was hugely impressive at Ascot, putting the race to bed in a matter of strides at the furlong pole, and he looked better than ever to my eye.

Still lightly raced for a sprinter, he looks that little bit stronger than he did when weakening out of the places only in the final strides here 12 months ago.

He appears well drawn, and will be suited by the easing ground, with his best form coming on good or dead going.

2:45 Coral Doncaster Cup (Group 2) 2m 1f 197yds

This galloping track and some ease in the ground will suit Trueshan, and he is taken to produce another performance in line with his demolition job at Newcastle in June.

It may be that Irish stables will provide most opposition, and I reckon Lismore can follow Trueshan home, for all she’s clearly been hard to train since winning the Henry II Stakes in 2021.

She ran poorly in the Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran when last seen, but is much better than that, and is capable of making the frame on ground which should suit.

3:20 Cazoo Park Stakes (Group 2) 7f 6yds

The weights do not favour him, with a penalty for his Hungerford Stakes success forcing him to concede weight to higher-rated rivals, but Jumby will be ideally suited by the track and trip and can provide value with excuses easy to find for his flop in the City of York Stakes, which clearly came too soon after the Hungerford.

Jumby is best served by being held up off a strong pace, and although sometimes hampered by slow starts, always looked comfortable when winning at Newbury.

Doncaster is a good track for those who can finish powerfully, and this venue will suit him much better than York, where everything was happening too quickly for him last time.

Given several of these were in front of him on the Knavesmire, he is likely to be ignored by punters, and should give a decent return for each-way players who keep the faith.

3:55 Cazoo St Leger Stakes (Group 1) 1m 6f 115yds

An uninspiring St Leger, with the outstanding favourite having contested a handicap on his penultimate start, and while that’s a simplistic way to view the race – it’s hard to blame Charlie Appleby for seizing upon the official assessor’s mistake regarding New London. He’s looked the likeliest winner of this race since making a mockery of that mark of 99 at Newmarket’s July meeting.

He holds main rival Hoo Ya Mal on Gordon Stakes form, and the pair ought to dominate, as I don’t buy into the thinking that Haskoy’s win in a messy Galtres Stakes is worth her supplementary entry for this race.

Juan Les Pins 1:00 Doncaster – 1pt e/w @ 11/2 (general – 4 places)

Trillium 1:35 Doncaster – 2pts win @ 7/4 (general)

Whenthedealinsdone 2:10 Doncaster – 1pt e/w @ 5/1 (general – 6 places)

Jumby 3:20 Doncaster – 1pt e/w @ 11/1 (Bet365, 10/1 Hills)