Park Hill and May Hill Stakes headcard Doncaster’s Leger Festival opener

The St Leger Festival begins at Doncaster on Thursday with two prominent Group Two races taking center stage, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing.

In the 3:00 betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes, a competitive field of nine runners has assembled. Danielle, who finished fourth in this event last year before a dominant nine-length victory in a Listed race at the same track in November, returns to challenge. She won the Bronte Cup on her seasonal debut but failed to get her head in the wind at Goodwood next time out. Riding her once more is jockey William Buick.

Consent, a neck second in this race last term and subsequent Prix de Royallieu winner, has found recent form harder to come by and will wear cheekpieces for the first time. Andrew Balding’s Prizeland, who won the Galtres Stakes at York impressively, is considered an each-way option, while Waardah could threaten if the ground softens, having beaten the top pair at Goodwood previously.

Fairy Glen, only half a length adrift in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in May, remains a contender if she is fully fit for her return to action.

At 3:35, the Grade One-qualifying May Hill Stakes sees Charlie Appleby’s Musical Times lead the charge. The unbeaten filly has shown impressive form in both her starts, beating Scommessa Sicura on debut at Newmarket and scoring at Yarmouth. She tops the betting under Buick and faces a tougher test here.

Scommessa Sicura, who finished second at Salisbury last month, returns to face her rival. Additionally, Joseph O’Brien’s Ballyskeagh boasts solid place claims after a strong runner-up finish in a Group Three at the Curragh, while Speckles may improve on her fifth-place finish from that same contest.

Before the feature races, the 1:50 Weatherbys £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes will serve as an early showcase for Night In Vegas. Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, the colt is the short-priced favorite following a fifth-place run in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and a victory in the Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes.

Other contenders include George Boughey’s Shadwell colt Mithaaly, who has improved with each start to win at Windsor, and Zigazig Ah, who won the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury in July. Joseph O’Brien’s Seven Nation Army also rounds out the notable entries.

Elsewhere on the Thursday card, Sky Sports Racing will cover Lingfield and Worcester. At Lingfield, Marquessofanglesey looks to convert near-misses into a win in the 3:15 race under Rob Hornby. Meanwhile, at Worcester, Harry Cobden rides former Cheltenham Festival runner-up Crebilly against hat-trick seeker Youdecide and Snipe, who are trained by Alan King.

Internationally, British-trained Midak, ridden by Ian Williams, takes on former Group One winner Double Major in the Group Three Prix Gladiateur at ParisLongchamp.