ITV Racing Tips for Thursday: Selections From Day 1 At Doncaster

The ITV Racing cameras are live from Town Moor for a cracking Thursday at Doncaster, with Group action taking centre stage in the May Hill and Park Hill Stakes. It’s a card that usually throws up a smart juvenile or two alongside proven stayers, and Billy Grimshaw has gone in on a pair of bets he's keen to have running for us...

13:50 Doncaster - Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes

This is a high-pressure nursery that often attracts the sharpest two-year-old fillies and colts, and after poring over the form, I’m fully committed to BRUSSELS. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, he may be one for the future but on the evidence we've seen, he could well be up to this task. His most recent outing showed a strong finish from off the pace — not in a fashion that screamed raw speed, but more a smooth move through tiring horses, which could be invaluable at Doncaster’s long, uphill finish.

He has the kind of balanced stride that handles whatever tempo this race is run at, and the brain to quicken when the gap appears. His breeding backs that up, too — there's a hint of middle-distance promise alongside juvenile speed, so stepping up slightly in distance won’t faze him.The real pace in this nursery could be explosive, and in such scenarios, closure often decides the race. Brussels has the temperament and engine to keep finding, even when others wilt. Jel Pepper is undoubtedly dangerous — he’s neat, professional, and has run in deeper company — but the betting suggests he’s nailed on to build firmly on that  experience and I sense that he may plateau a touch. 

Brussels, with that strong galloping action and proactive finishing style, can settle into this kind of sprint before hitting another gear late to nail it. He's progressive, composed, and seems to have that extra gear that only really shows under pressure. That makes him stand out for me in a highly competitive juvenile heat, even with no Ryan Moore to ride him.

15:00 Doncaster - Park Hill Fillies' Stakes

This staying fillies’ classic is a stern examination of both stamina and resolve, and I’m staking my faith in DANIELLE. Her recent second over a mile and a half at Goodwood hinted she’s stronger and more focused than ever; she shaped like a filly with the stamina to stay on strongly under pressure rather than simply be itching for the line.

Doncaster’s uphill finish is a brutal place to judge a ‘stayer’, but Danielle’s progressive fitness and way of travelling through her races make her feel particularly well-suited to such a challenge. Her rhythm is smooth and sustained, and she rarely hits the front too early — she lets others chase before pouncing.

Chorus is consistent and has earned her Group 3 stripes, staying on resiliently in a couple of good contests, but I prefer Danielle’s trajectory. She looks to be arriving at this kind of test at her peak, rather than just maintaining form. Elana Osario is also improving and may be there or thereabouts, but I keep circling back to Danielle for two reasons: she carries more scope for continued improvement over staying trips and she has proven she knows how to win under pressure. If she’s ridden confidently, given the strong gallop and ground conditions I expect, she’ll be the one to break the line strongest when staying power is everything.