Sweet William proving more popular than Trueshan in opposition to 6-5 Doncaster Cup favourite Coltrane

Coltrane is proving a steady 6-5 favourite for the Betfred Doncaster Cup (3.00) but punters looking to take on last year's winner are siding with Sweet William rather than Trueshan.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Sweet William competes in Group company for the first time on the back of finishing second in the Ebor at York last month.

He was the 7-2 third favourite for the Doncaster Cup on Thursday but has been backed into the 11-4 second favourite (from 10-3) on Friday.

Trueshan was a beaten 2-9 favourite when a neck second to Coltrane in this race last year but is 3lb better off with that rival here on his first start since May.

Alan King's stable star was the 15-8 second favourite on Thursday but has drifted again to 7-2 (from 11-4) on Friday.

Paddy Power spokesperson Paul Binfield said: "Coltrane is solid enough, but the support is coming for Ebor runner-up Sweet William who tackles this marathon distance for the first time but was a comfortable scorer over an extended two miles at Newbury in July."

Kevin Stott’s sole mount of the day at Doncaster is proving popular in the Carlsberg-sponsored Flying Childers Stakes (2.25).

Stott teams up with Curragh-based trainer Michael O’Callaghan to partner debut scorer Francis Meynell in the Group 2 event. He is a 6-1 chance having been 11-1 with bet365 overnight.

The son of Blue Point races in the trainer’s colours and showed plenty of speed when scoring at Navan last month.

O’Callaghan said after the race: “Francis Meynell is one we have taken our time with. He will improve plenty for this and for what he has done at home.”

Kylian has overtaken Big Evs at the head of the market, with the Karl Burke-trained sprinter now the 5-2 favourite and Big Evs, who bids to bounce back from his below-par run in the Nunthorpe, priced at 11-4.

Market movers

2.25
Francis Meynell 6-1 (from 11)

3.00
Sweet William 11-4 (from 10-3)

3.35
Rhythmic Intent 9-1 (from 14)

4.45
Lethal Levi 7-1 (from 11)

5.20
Red Zone Hero 10-3 (from 6)

Posted at 2.10pm

Marginal improvement in Doncaster going for day two

There has been a slight improvement in the going description for day two of Doncaster's St Leger meeting but the ground is expected to remain on the soft side.

Soft is the going on the round course and it has dried out a little to soft, good to soft in places on the straight course, with the good to soft areas in the final furlong and a half. Just shy of 30mm of rain has fallen at the track this week.

Clerk of the course Paul Barker said at 7.40am: "It's tightened up a little in the last furlong and a half in the home straight, we felt it had dried out a little there but we're otherwise soft ground.

"It's been dry overnight and we're set for a dry, sunny day. It's going to be a fairly warm day, and while the ground may improve slightly as the day goes on, I don't envisage any significant changes. Jockeys felt it was soft, tacky and quite tiring ground yesterday."

There is no rain forecast on St Leger day but Barker expects similar conditions with fresh ground saved for Saturday on the round course.

Barker said: "It's not forecast to be as bright and sunny on Saturday but it is set to be dry with the odd sunny interval. We'll be on a fresh strip of ground on Saturday from the ten-furlong start to the turn for home so I still expect we will be on the softer side."

Posted at 8am