Donaster St Leger Festival: Abingdon the Park Hill punt to score for Stoute

Simple Verse looking to bounce back

Simple Verse returns to the track for the first time since landing last year’s St Leger, and looks a massive player if bouncing back to anything like her best.

Ralph Beckett’s filly followed up her Classic success with victory in the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot, but has not been anywhere near her best in three starts this season.

This four-year-old was one of the first beat when trailing in a distant 15-length seventh to Dartmouth in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot when last seen in action, but has since been given a break to freshen up.

That needs to have worked the oracle if Simple Verse is to prevail against some progressive types, but the daughter of Duke Of Marmalade does have 6lbs and upwards in hand on her rival on official ratings and that allows her to command her the utmost respect.

Gosden looking to double up with California

Trainer John Gosden saddled Gretchen to land the race 12 months ago, so it would be wrong not include his entrant this year among our Park Hill Stakes tips. The Newmarket handler has a lively contender in the 2016 renewal in the shape of California.

The four-year-old comes into the race on the back of a brace of successes and in the last of those stayed on strongly to beat Tioga Pass by a length in the Group 3 Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood.

This demands more, but California is clearly going the right way and another plus is that she has course winning form to her name, having landed a handicap at this meeting 12 months ago in runaway style.

Related

You’ll find more Doncaster bets to back throughout the St Leger Festival on Coral’s dedicated page.

Coral’s top tip: Abingdon is on a serious upward curve, so her odds rate a solid bet to land the spoils. Simple Verse is a big danger on the pick of her form and California commands plenty of respect for last year’s winning handler.