Key Points
- The handicapper has given this veteran a chance in the opening handicap
- Andrew Balding to continue his good week in the Park Stakes
- Royal Ascot form to be upheld in the St Leger
It’s the final UK Classic of the season this Saturday, as the St Leger headlines the ITV Racing coverage from Doncaster, Chester, and the Curragh this weekend.
For this Saturday’s selections of ITV Racing Tips, I have three picks to consider on what is always a good weekend of racing. Not only do we have Doncaster to worry about, but the Irish Champions Weekend kicks off tomorrow as well.
So, let’s get into today’s
horse racing betting tips.
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Saturday is not the only day that ITV Racing will be showing live action; they will also have their cameras positioned at Doncaster and the Curragh on Sunday afternoon, so there is no getting away from the top-quality UK horse racing this weekend.
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BETTING ADVICE – ITV RACING – SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2025
13:15 Doncaster –
Bopedro
@ 10/1 with
BetMGM
(4 places) – 0.5pt each-way
15:00 Doncaster –
Marvelman
@ 6/1 with
Betway
– 1pt Win
15:40 Doncaster -
Carmers
@ 9/2 with
Betway
– 1pt Win
WELL-HANDICAPPED BOPEDRO CAN GO ONE BETTER THIS YEAR
My opening selection in this weekend’s horse racing tips column comes in the first race of the day at Doncaster, the PJ Toweye Construction Handicap. The handicapper has relented slightly with Bopedro, as he is on his lowest mark of this season (95), and that might just be good enough to see him win.
Since August 2021, he has only dropped to an official rating of 95 or lower four times. When he did, he won at the Curragh, finished a good sixth in the Shergar Cup Mile, and finished second in this race last year. These efforts show that he has the ability to run a big race when the handicapper allows him to, and some of his performances this season give me good reason to believe he deserves to be backed this weekend.
At Royal Ascot in the Royal Hunt Cup, he finished fourth to My Cloud and Bullet Point. The latter won the competitive Clipper Handicap at York subsequently, and the former is a potential Group horse in the making for Roger Varian. Furthermore, Fox Legacy, sixth in the Royal Hunt Cup, is rated 14 pounds higher, and Ebt’s Guard, the seventh, is rated five pounds better off.
He was second in this race last year, and he’s pretty ground versatile. I worry that he has stall three compared to last year’s draw in 10, but he’s a hold-up horse, so he should be able to navigate through any way he wants to.
ANDREW BALDING CAN STRIKE WITH MARVELLOUS THREE-YEAR-OLD
Barring his Royal Ascot run, Marvelman has had a great three-year-old season so far, and he has the ability to get a well-deserved Group success this weekend.
After his nice win at Kempton in March, he went on to finish second to Cosmic Year in the Listed King Charles II Stakes. Cosmic Year finished second in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas to Field Of Gold, subsequently.
He also chased home Witness Stand (subsequent Group 2 Lennox Stakes winner) and Holguin in the Listed City Plate Stakes at Chester in July, and his run behind More Thunder in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes was a career-best effort.
Andrew Balding’s stable form is in good nick currently, and I liked the way that Marvelman kept on behind More Thunder at Newbury last time out. This isn’t a vintage race, and he has the ability to win.
TWOMEY’S CARMERS READ TO BUILD ON GREAT VOLTIGEUR EFFORT
The St Leger is an interesting contest this year as all three Aidan O’Brien-trained horses have new jockeys on board. Scandinavia has a good chance, but he is priced accordingly, and there’s reason to believe Carmers can improve from his run at York last month.
The Wootton Bassett-trained colt has had a great year for Paddy Twomey so far, a run that has included a Listed win in Ireland, a Group 2 win at Royal Ascot, and a second-place finish in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur under a penalty.
He dropped back in trip for his York effort last month, and it was his first run in over two months, so all in all, finishing a staying-on second to the Dante winner Pride Of Arras can be considered a good prep for the St Leger.
Based on his Group 2 Queen’s Vase success in June, the return to 14 furlongs should play to his strengths, and I’m hopeful that the Great Voltigeur will have him cherry ripe for the Leger. Furthermore, let’s not forget that he beat Furthur, Rahiebb, and, most importantly, Scandinavia at Royal Ascot, all of whom reappear here. Carmers looks like a solid play in the Leger this year.
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