The Gr2 Doncaster Cup, which takes place at Doncaster on Friday afternoon, is one of the oldest and most historic races run on the British calendar.
The 3621 metre contest was first run more than 250 years ago, with the first Doncaster Cup having been run in 1766 when run as the Doncaster Gold Cup.

Since its inauguration, the Doncaster Cup (first run over the marathon trip of four miles) has become well entrenched as one of the highlights of the St Leger festival of racing, and past winners of the race include the likes of Brown Jack, Alycidon, Ardross, Le Moss, Assessor and the great French stayer Marsyas.

The charismatic Double Trigger (Ela-Mana-Mou), winner of the Stayers Triple Crown in 1995, won the Doncaster three times in 1995, 1996 and 1998 respectively, while Her Majesty The Queen’s mare Estimate (Dubawi) won in 2014.

The final leg of Britain’s Stayers’ Triple Crown (the first two legs consisting of the Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup), the Doncaster Cup, promoted to Gr2 status in 2003, has attracted a field of nine this year.

Among the runners are past winners Pallasator (Motivator) and Sheikhzayedroad (Dubawi), victorious in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Current favourite, Montaly (Yeats), who got a 3lbs penalty after winning the Gr2 Lonsdale Cup Stakes last time out, looks a big contender here, as does promising three-year-old Desert Skyline (Tamayuz). The latter, who is receiving weight from all his older rivals, looks a massive danger having finished second in the Gr2 Darley Prix Kergorlay (to a Melbourne Cup bound runner)last time out but does try the trip for a first time.

Recent French Listed winner Fun Mac (Shirocco) was beaten a length by Montaly when they met in the Chester Cup earlier in the year and is now 6lbs better off with the favourite. However, his overall form suggests he is not quite up to Gr2 level.

Last year’s winner Sheikhzayedroad was a 2.5 lengths fourth to Montaly last time out and is now 3lbs better off. He must have a chance, but another former winner, the temperamental Pallasator, looks held on current form.

She Is No Lady (Lope De Vega) was a 6.5 length fourth in the Gr1 Gold Cup but looks held by Desert Skyline on their meeting in the Gr1 Qatar Goodwood Cup where the 3yo Desert Skyline beat the 5yo mare more than four lengths.

TheRyan Moore ridden Thomas Hobson (Halling) looks held by the likes of both Montaly and Sheikhzayedroad on his seventh place finish in the Lonsdale.

The two nine-year-olds Clever Cookie (Primo Dominie) and High Jinx (High Chaparral) both look held, with Clever Cookie needing to improve off an unplaced run in the Ebor Handicap. High Jinx was 3.5 lengths off Montaly last time out and is now 3lbs better off with that son of Yeats.

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