Doncaster Tips: Four Best Bets for Saturday’s St Leger Festival

There's a big card on at Doncaster today with the St Leger Festival in full swing, and a couple of standout fancies further afield too. We've picked out four of the most talked-about tips across the afternoon, from a blue-blooded Godolphin debutant to a fascinating St Leger showdown.

TIP 1: DESERT CASTLE - 1pt WIN

Best odds of 5/6 at Betway while publishing.

DESERT CASTLE looks the clear standout in this race off the back of a taking debut win over seven furlongs at Newmarket last month. He's an elite Godolphin colt by Frankel, trained by Charlie Appleby, and everything about that first-time performance suggested there's plenty more in the locker. Stepping up in grade so soon after a debut win is often a leap of faith, but with this pedigree and this stable behind him, he looks more than capable of handling it.

TIP 2: MORE THUNDER - 1pt WIN

Best odds of EVENS at Betfred while publishing.

RACING LEE'S BETTING TIP

MORE THUNDER has been consistently competitive all year, with three of his four starts coming in Group 1 company and none of those defeats coming by any real margin. That kind of exposure to the very top level has left him with rating figures that comfortably stand out in this Group 2, and the easing ground shouldn't trouble him in the slightest.

Dig into the detail and the case gets stronger still. He was runner-up in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, a result that needs the pace and the finish to fall right for him but shows he's capable of running to a very high level on his day. Before that he'd chased home Notable Speech in the Lockinge, form that's been franked since by that horse following up with another Group 1 at York. On ratings he's clear of the rest of this field, and with places likely to be tight given the field size, this looks his race to lose if the pace sets up in his favour.

TIP 3: ENCELADUS - 1pt WIN

Best odds available of 13/5 at Betway while posting.

RACING LEE'S BETTING TIP

The St Leger throws up a fascinating clash between the Derby winner and the horse who's chased him hardest through the market all week, and the case for siding with ENCELADUS over stablemate rival Christmas Day stands up well on what's actually been seen on the track recently. Watching the Great Voltigeur back at York, neither of the principals involved gave the impression of finishing powerfully or being unlucky in defeat.

Compare that with the way Enceladus travelled through his Goodwood success, still doing plenty of his best work in the closing stages with more to give, and it's the form of a horse who looks tailor-made to improve again over this extra half-mile trip. Christmas Day arrives with the bigger reputation, but the manner of these two runs points the other way.

TIP 4: EBTS GUARD - 1pt EW

Best odds of 16/1 available at bet365 while publishing.

LIAM FIRKIN'S BETTING TIP

EBTS GUARD looks an appealing each-way option at a big price, with this 5-year-old seemingly improving as the season progresses. He has recorded one win and four places across September and October over the last two seasons, suggesting this time of year could bring out the best in him once again.

He has also been placed on numerous occasions from marks higher than his current rating of 102, while his recent run in Group company at Goodwood should leave him better equipped for this return to handicap company. His form from earlier in the season also reads well, with several horses from those races going on to boost the form since.

With a return to this level likely to suit him better, EBTS Guard could show more here and looks worth backing each-way at 16/1 with bet365.