Timeform UK SmartPlays: Friday September 14

John Oxx: trainer of Saddler's Rock
The St Leger meeting continues at Doncaster, and that's where the main focus of today's SmartPlays will be...
It's an early start for us today, taking in the Flying Childers Stakes, the first race at Doncaster which is to be held at 13:15. Plenty of the talk centres on Sir Prancealot, who's been competing in some of the better two-year-old races this summer and sets the standard narrowly in this courtesy of his last two runs in France. He's duly favourite, but this represents a drop back in trip for Richard Hannon's charge and we're taking him on with Hoyam.
Like Sir Prancealot, Hoyam has had a go at a high level, placing in both the Queen Mary and Princess Margaret at Ascot. The first-named of those two looked for a long time like a standout performance from Hoyam, until she landed a listed race at York last time in good style from Fire Eyes, who re-opposes today. Her form isn't quite in the same bracket at Sir Prancealot's, but she receives a fillies allowance and, crucially, has looked every inch the speedy type so far, which could well give her the edge in this.
We're staying on Town Moor for our second selection, as the Doncaster Cup (14:20) gives us the chance to beat what's currently one of our favourite drums. We've been saying since Saddler's Rock won this race last year that he's one of the very best stayers around and we stand by it, for all he's yet to quite match the level of form. There's been enough in his runs this season to suggest there's still more to come from him, his third-placed finish in the Gold Cup (despite pulling very hard) and win in the Goodwood Cup chief among them. Admittedly, we're having to forgive a poor run in the Lonsdale Cup last time, but that's more than legislated for in Saddler's Rock's current price and we're keeping the faith.
Finally, we're off to Sandown, for a race at 15:40 which is being billed as a 'champion' claimer. The grand title mightn't have attracted a much better standard of horse than you'd normally expect to find in a claimer, but there's certainly more in the way of depth to this race than most of its type, while a few are pretty unexposed, too. Our selection, Presburg, probably isn't one of the bigger unknown quantities in the field, but he has a back-catalogue of solid form in handicaps which is often absent with horses in this grade. The pick of Presburg's handicap form puts him right in the mix with regards to this race, and he was pretty much bang on his game when fifth in a strong race at Newbury last time. That also proved his stamina for 10 furlongs and, with the competition in this race not so strong, Presburg can belatedly land his first race of 2012 here.
Timeform SmartPlays
Back Hoyam @ 5.39/2 in the 13:15 at Doncaster
Back Saddler's Rock @ 4.03/1 in the 14:20 at Doncaster
Back Presburg @ 3.1511/5 in the 15:40 at Sandown