The 2025 Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster

We are extremely proud to be sponsoring the Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes on the opening day of Doncaster’s St Leger Meeting. This is the 17th year Weatherbys has supported the race, and the fifth year that Weatherbys Scientific has sponsored this top-class juvenile contest.

We witnessed a thrilling contest in 2024 with Hallasan landing the prize for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, just prevailing by a nose following an immense duel up the run-in. Last year’s edition proved an incredibly strong renewal, with the winner going on to score in the Jumeirah Guineas Trial two starts later whilst the narrow runner-up has since gone on to reach even loftier heights. Aidan O’Brien’s Camille Pissarro would go on to score in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on his very next start and continued to improve as a three-year-old this season, becoming a Classic winner on account of his smooth success in the Prix du Jockey Club. This valuable sales race is generally an extremely strong and competitive race – and one to follow thereafter – and we look set to be treated to another terrific renewal with a full field of 22 runners.

O’Brien and Coolmore were denied by the slimmest of margins in this contest last year then and the trainer bids for redemption with another Wootton Basset colt in Brussels. A winner on debut, he has posted fine efforts in defeat the last twice with a fourth in the Group 2 July Stakes and second in the Listed Churchill Stakes. He remains with plenty of potential back down in trip, and it is unlikely we have seen the best of this classy individual.

Inns Of Court gelding Jel Pepper was one spot ahead of that rival in the July Stakes at Newmarket and was last seen finishing fourth in the valuable Ballyhane Stakes at Naas. Oliver Cole’s contender has appeared slightly green the last twice and should continue to improve with experience. The gelding is a half-brother to Ballymount Boy – a Listed winner and Group 2-placed as a juvenile – and benefits from a lowly weight under these conditions. An impressive debut winner on soft ground at Goodwood, a bit of cut in the ground would provide no concerns.

Archie Watson’s Tadej is the highest rated in this field and, whilst he does shoulder top-weight, brings excellent form to the table. The most experienced in the field, his Coventry Stakes sixth has since been backed up with a Group 3 success at Deauville. The Ardad colt underperformed in the Harry’s Half Million at York last time but is a likely type to bounce back for a top two-year-old trainer. Clive Cox’s Song Of The Clyde was extremely impressive when powering away to scoop that lucrative pot and is only 2lbs worse off with that rival here. The Sergei Prokofiev colt has improved with each racecourse start and is a serious contender for Middleham Park Racing – who have a terrific record in targeting this type of sales race.

Whilst only seventh in the Harry’s Half Million, the highly tried Kamakameleon shaped better than the bare result at York having been on the wrong side of the track and can be seen to better effect here for Dylan Cunha. Ed Walker’s Golden Brown ran a great race when sixth in the contest, backing up a good fourth in a competitive nursery at Glorious Goodwood. The son of Galileo Gold meets the York winner of 6lb better terms here and is building a consistent profile.

Advertise filly Calendar Girl sneaks in here right at the bottom of the weights, and the impressive Newbury maiden winner receives weight all round. Owen Burrows’ filly was unlucky not to remain unbeaten when conceding first run at Epsom last time and has the perfect profile for this race. That form has also been well advertised, with the winner going on to score again next time from an opening mark of 81.

Andrew Balding has a fine recent record in the contest, landing the spoils twice in the last six years, and his Rising Empire arrives here fresher than most on the back of a break. A Windsor maiden winner, his debut form behind Group 2 winner Coppull reads well as does his staying-on fifth in the Woodcote Stakes. Karl Burke landed the spoils with Cold Case in 2022 and relies on Bushwacker here. The Supremacy colt remains a maiden but continues to improve with every start and was just narrowly denied by a progressive rival last time. The trainer reaches for first-time cheekpieces.

Richard Hannon, who dominates another Weatherbys-sponsored sales race in the Super Sprint, has two bites at the apple here and his filly Slay Queen arrives on a hattrick bid after backing up a Newbury novice success with a win on handicap debut last time from a mark of 80. The daughter of Acclamation is ground versatile and gave weight and a beating to a Listed winner that day. The trainer’s once-raced Cracksman colt Battle Apple is another intriguing contender with Billy Loughnane getting the leg up in the saddle. He outran market expectations when second on racecourse debut at Ascot last time, travelling smartly but just being ran down late on. The slight reduction in trip should suit and he has bundles of potential on just his second career start.

It looks set to be a fantastic race and we would like to wish good luck to all connections.