St Leger Festival Day 1 Tips 2023: Check out all the best bets for Thursday's racing at Doncaster

We are set for a fabulous day 1 of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster on Thursday afternoon and there will be four races taking place in front of the ITV Racing cameras. Our in-house tipster Steve Chambers previews the day's action and picks out his best bets...

13:50 Doncaster - British Stallion Studs EBF 'Carrie Red' Fillies' Nursery

Some exciting juveniles will line up in the nursery event at 13:50 and George Boughey's hat-trick-seeking Chic Colombine is well fancied to continue on her meteoric rise, but there could be value elsewhere. One that catches the eye and is another bidding for a third win in a row is the George Scott-trained GRANNY BUDGIE, who is three wins from four starts and was an impressive winner last time out at Hamilton. She's been hiked up another 7lbs for that victory in Scotland, but she was pulling away impressively that day and with form on soft going then she won't have any problems with any of the wet stuff that has hit Town Moor this week. She will need to improve again, but we've certainly not seen her best yet on the track and she can land this prize in style.

14:25 Doncaster - Weatherbys Scientific 300,000 2-Y-O Stakes

Dominant at the head of the betting for this race, Johannes Brahms and Dragon Leader will be looking to enhance their already lofty reputations as they have both shown they are extremely talented youngsters on the track this season and they should serve up a thrilling clash at 14:25. However, there's limited value in the pair, so why not take a chance on a bigger priced runner and the one that is worth backing each-way is Kevin Ryan's VANTHEMAN. Fifth behind Dragon Leader in a valuable sales race at York last time out, the Invincible Army colt travelled eye-catchingly well for most of that event before struggling to quicken in the closing stages. A winner two starts ago on good to soft ground, Ryan's charge will find it hard to turn the York form around, but is entitled to challenge for the places here.

15:00 Doncaster - Betfred May Hill Stakes

Karl Burke's DARNATION was an impressive two-length winner of the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood last time out and the hugely exciting daughter of Too Darn Hot will aim to build on that effort by claiming Group 2 success in the May Hill Stakes at 15:00. She took a little time to get going in that event, but once she reached top speed she scooted clear of her rivals and she got the better of Hard To Resist, who takes her on again in this contest. There are some exciting last-time-out winners that will be looking to build on decent wins last time out and the likes of Romanova, Merribella and See The Fire could all be potential smart Group horses, but Darnation's experience could be the defining factor and she can claim a third win on the bounce for connections.

15:35 Doncaster - Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes

The live ITV action concludes with a devilishly difficult renewal of the Group 2 Park Hill Fillies' Stakes at 15:35 and the one to beat is Paul & Oliver Cole's Sumo Sam, who was last seen landing the Lille Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and she shaped like she could be a very smart stayer. However, one further down the betting that is worth watching is CRACK OF LIGHT, who has been racing in France in recent times, but this hugely consistent daughter of Kingman has not been out the first three from her seven career runs and she looks interesting at double figured odds. The William Haggas-trained raider was third in a French Group 3 last month and shaped like the step up trip would bring on some more improvement and likely to be doing her best work at the finish she can land a shock win here.