Doncaster Cup: Where to find value in the fancied-horse haven
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No Doncaster Cup winner over the past decade has returned an SP over 11/2, so the six horses priced at single digits should be the focus in Yorkshire, barring a colossal plunge.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Mizzou is 9/4 favourite under last year’s winning jockey Andrea Atzeni and looks the part after a lightly-raced campaign, with a narrow Group 3 win over Clever Cookie at Ascot in April and a fine Group 1 second behind Melbourne Cup jolly Order Of Saint George in the royal meeting’s Gold Cup .
Joint-second favourites Clondaw Warrior and Quest For More, at 5/1 apiece, boast Grade A Galway Hurdle and Group 2 Hamilton Lonsdale Cup victories of late, with the latter leaving a few of these far behind in his York triumph.
Quest For More saw off Clever Cookie by eight lengths, with Peter Niven’s eight-year-old looking well held by a slice of the field at 11/2, with 7/1 shot Trip To Paris also ahead of him that day.
The last of the sextet is David Simcock’s Sheikzayedroad at 8/1, with the son of Dubawi’s Group 3 Nad Al Sheba trophy triumph back in March and respectable third in the Ascot Gold Cup putting him in the picture.
However, the best value punt appears to be Clondaw Warrior at 5/1.
For starters, Willie Mullins’ first string (the Irish handler also has 10/1 ) has the services of Ryan Moore in the saddle, and Ballydoyle’s number one jockey landed this Group 2 in 2014 and 2015, but didn’t have a ride 12 months ago.
Clondaw Warrior finished less than a length behind winner Pallasator last year and at nine years old would be the oldest Doncaster Cup winner since Persian Punch in 2003, so the fact that Mullins’ dual-code gelding is among the favourites may be telling.
With a jockey aboard on the hunt for his fourth win in the past seven runnings of this race, Clondaw Warrior looks the part.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
