Doncaster Cup 2025
The Doncaster Cup is the highlight race on the card on Friday and with just the 8 runners it looks to be a tactical and competitive race. Here is the concise overview with a preview and prediction of the race and who may come out on top.
John and Thady Gosden look to get back to back wins in this race with SWEET WILLIAM coming back to try and win this race again. The Gosdens have a good record in this race and have targeted it many times with some good stayers such as STRADIVARIUS and SAMUEL.
There is another returning winner of this race in the form of COLTRANE who won this back in 2022, however, he is 8 years old now and may be past his best as he struggled in the Ascot gold cup and just got there in a listed contest last time out.
SUNWAY is back in the UK after struggling over in France for the Grand Prix de Deauville where he may have found the ground too soft. He looks to have ground that should suit him better here and if replicating any sort of form like he showed in last years St Leger, he should go very close.
Willie Mullins has a contender this year with HIPOP DE LIORE who looks to be a useful type. He will relish in this long trip and is versatile with the ground and so can’t be many concerns with that. The only problem could be that this is a big step up in class and would be a might impressive training job if he win, but you wouldn’t put it past Willie to be able to get him well prepped to win this.
Race Preview + Prediction
This looks a nice opportunity for SWEET WILLIAM to get over the line before any of his rivals and go back to back in this race. This season he has had nothing less than Group 2 company and has been consistent. In his last two race he was only beaten by the best stayer in the country in TRAWLERMAN by 1 1/4 lengths. And in his ither race he was behind St Leger favourite SCANDINAVIA and the Irish St Leger favourite Illinois.
SWEET WILLIAM will be up against SUNWAY who has just come back off a poor run in France and may not have ideal conditions. HIPOP DE LOIRE, who is only rated 106 but could be anything but would have to step up a great amount to win this. PENDRAGON gets a lot of weight as a 3 year old but would have to special stayer to beat the older horses in this contest. COLTRANE is now 8 and not had his best season this year and OXFORD COMMA and KYLE OF LOCHALSH would need to improve significantly to take this one but could be in the mix.
Prediction
- SWEET WILLIAM
- SUNWAY
- OXFORD COMMA
