St Leger Festival Day 2 Tips: Our best bets for the second day at Donny

Day Two of the Leger Festival promises more intriguing races and high quality clashes at Doncaster. Billy Grimshaw is on hand to give us his thoughts on the second day on Town Moor along with some selections...

13:25 - British Stallion Studs EBF 'Carrie Red' Fillies' Nursery Handicap

Kicking off the card is a tricky looking Nursery Handicap and as is so often the case in races like this it is wise to tread carefully due to the potential for massive improvement or a blow-out from any number in the field. Bonny Angel for Clive Cox heads the market at the time of writing and although she showed a good attitude to win by a neck last time out at Leicester, I'm not sure it was worth the rise in the weights she faces or is a particularly strong piece of form so she can be avoided. Cathy Come Home looks an interesting entrant for Karl Burke who has a good record in this race and if she repeats her performance in the Albany at Royal Ascot she should be bang there.

The one I am with as my first selection of the day is MISTY BLUES, who was an excellent second in a high quality nursery at York last time out. She went up three pounds for this effort but trainer Tim Easterby has booked three pound claimer Sean Kirrane to offset this and if she repeats her York run I think that is the strongest form being brought into this contest so at 6/1 at the time of writing this looks a solid bet to kick things off.

14:35 - Cazoo May Hill Stakes

Taking on William Buick when he is riding a hot favourite has been a bit of a recipe for disaster this season, and the chance of his mount Dance In The Grass is obvious in this race. Mark Johnston's daughter of Cracksman looked good when winning on debut before looking very good indeed last time out at Sandown when claiming a listed contest. She has had a bit of a break by the stables' usual busy standards and definitely deserves her place at the top of the market.

Despite the case that can be made for the favourite, I am siding with the second favourite FRANKNESS to upset the jolly for Rob Hornby and Andrew Balding. Her form is not as strong, winning weak novices at Chester, but the manner of her performances in victory along with the obvious potential to improve due to her pedigree when stepping up in trip as she does for this test mean she looks a great bet to me. Novakai is no forlorn hope and has some Doncaster form in the book, while Ferrari Queen looks another interesting Johnston runner but none appeal as much as the selection at current prices.

15:45 - Cazoo Handicap

Much like in the second race previewed, this is a competitive looking race with a short priced favourite that warrants his place atop the market in Zainalarab. Roger Varian's runner is searching for four wins in a row and cruised to handicap success last time out at Sandown. The handicapper has raised him five pounds but he looked considerably better than that on his last few outings and it would be a brave punter to dismiss this one. At odds of sub 2/1 however and with a field this deep I have to look elsewhere.

Billyb made some appeal on the back of a July course and distance win followed by some good efforts filling the places since, while Royal Parade could be interesting if bouncing back from a shocker at Chelmsford last time out. The one I'm siding with though, is ADMIRAL D. He has looked better than ever since switching to Richard Fahey's yard and despite not managing to secure a first win for new connections yet, his run at Thirsk last time can be marked up as the leaders in the race never came back to the field and Admiral D did the best late work to grab seventh. He is better than the bare result in that race and I think warrants each-away support in this race.