Zebedee, Meow to clash at Doncaster

A pair of Group 2 contests for 2-year-olds highlights the third day of Doncaster’s St. Leger Meeting on Friday with Zebedee and Meow vying for favoritism in the $122,000, five-furlong Flying Childers Stakes, while White Moonstone is the odds-on choice in the one-mile May Hill Stakes for juvenile fillies.

From Richard Hannon’s powerful stable of 2-year-olds, Zebedee followed a victory in Goodwood’s five-furlong, Group 3 Molecomb Stakes with a narrow score in the Tattersalls Millions Auctions Stakes going six furlongs at Newmarket. He should appreciate the drop back in distance with Richard Hughes aboard. In Meow he faces a David Wachman-trained daughter of Storm Cat who was a neck second at the distance in Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, and who has since beaten colts in the listed, five-furlong Grangecon Stud Stakes at the Curragh. Johnny Murtagh rides. The unbeaten New Planet steps up off a five-furlong listed score at York.

A Kentucky-bred son of Dynaformer, the Godolphin-owned White Moonstone made it 2 for 2 in winning the seven-furlong, Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket a month ago. The step up to the May Hill mile should be well within her range as Frankie Dettori takes his usual place in the saddle. Her main rival figures to be Midnight Caller, a George Strawbridge-owned, John Gosden-trained daughter of Dansili who broke her maiden going a mile at Leicester last time despite a troubled trip. William Buick will ride.

* Opinion Poll and Samuel will duke it out through the 2 1/4 miles of the $153,000, Group 2 Doncaster Cup. Opinion Poll prevailed by a half-length last time in the two-mile, 88-yard, Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York where Electrolyser was a close fourth. Defending titleholder Askar Tau, however, has been off-form all season.