TONY CALVIN: DONCASTER St Leger meeting details

SUNDAY SCENE-SETTER

WITH four live days of racing at Doncaster from Thursday to Sunday (they are pushing that particular envelope – in common with a few other Festivals, it is probably a day too far in terms of the racing schedule) , I probably won’t bother with ante-post markets and will keep my powder dry, with the columns appearing from Tuesday.

But I’ll have a quick look at the St Leger on Monday afternoon when we get the confirmations.

At the moment (as of Sunday morning), we have 16 in that Classic.

At best prices, and I appreciate most of you won’t be able to access some of these, Christmas Day is 7/4 favourite, followed by Enceladus at 11/4, Pierre Bonnard at 3s, Del Maro at 10s and the very interesting (if 96-rated) Hatteen and Highwayman at 16s.

It is 40s bar those six.

There are two other early-closers on the Saturday at Doncaster, the Champagne Stakes (29 entries) and Park Stakes (again, 29 entries).

COURSE DETAILS

DONCASTER (four day meeting Thursday to Sunday)

GOING :  Good to soft, soft in places

GOING STICK : 5.9, Saturday 9.15am

Soil Moisture 46.7%

Rails: Round Course – same line as previous day. Innermost racing line.

Stalls: Straight – Centre Round – Inner

SATURDAY COURSE UPDATE: We had 42.4mm last week. 2.6mm yesterday Today – mainly dry and bright with some sunny spells 19C Sunday – mainly dry and bright with the small chance of a shower 23C Monday – dry and bright with some sunny spells 21C Tuesday – mainly dry with the chance of some showers 18C Wednesday – dry and bright with some sunny spells 18C Thursday – overcast but mainly dry 18C Friday – overcast with the small chance of a shower 20C Gentle breeze throughout the week.

Watering: We have not watered the track since the 18th August – this was to aid recovery from our last meeting on the 15th August

Weather: 2mm Sunday and light showers throughout the week, if anything