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Opinion Poll could seek a hat-trick at Doncaster on Friday, September 9, with Godolphin's charge featuring among the 10 entries for the £100,000 Stobart Doncaster Cup over two and a quarter miles, the fifth long distance contest of the QIPCO British Champions Series.
The five-year-old has already annexed the two previous long distance races in the QIPCO British Champions Series - the Group Two Artemis Goodwood Cup over two miles at Glorious Goodwood on July 28 and the Group Two Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup over two miles at York on August 20.
Prior to those victories, finished a fine second behind Fame And Glory in the Group One Ascot Gold Cup over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot in June.A fantastic entry for the Stobart Doncaster Cup also includes the classy French raider Kasbah Bliss. The Francois Doumen-trained gelding was runner-up behind Jukebox Jury on his most recent start in the Group Two Darley Prix Kergorlay at Deauville on August 21.
Sir Mark Prescott won the Stobart Doncaster Cup in 2001 with Alleluia and has engaged another smart filly this time in Motrice. The Motivator four-year-old, third in the 2010 Doncaster Cup, stayed on strongly over 14 furlongs at Goodwood on August 27, when an easy winner of the Listed March Stakes on her latest appearance.
The Queen's Tactician, trained by Michael Bell, followed a Listed success at York in July with second place at the same venue in the Betfred Ebor on August 20, a race in which the Mark Johnston-trained Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap winner Fox Hunt was sixth. Johnston took the prize with the great Double Trigger in 1995, 1996 and 1998.
The David O'Meara-trained Blue Bajan landed the Group Two Henry II Stakes over two miles at Sandown in May, while Tastahil, trained by Charlie Hills, was runner-up to Samuel in the 2010 Stobart Doncaster Cup and then saw off Motrice to win the Group Three Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket the following month.
The Gary Moore-trained Bergo was third to Opinion Poll in the Lonsdale Cup at York, while the Lydia Pearce-trained Dayia scored in Listed company at Saint-Cloud in November.
Saddler's Rock is the Irish challenger among the entries. The John Oxx-trained three-year-old followed a pair of wins with third place behind Fictional Account in the Listed Irish Field St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh on August 20.
Friday, September 9, is the third day of the four-day Ladbrokes St Leger Festival and a fantastic seven-race card also features a pair of Group Two races for juveniles, the £70,000 Group Two Polypipe Flying Childers (1.25pm) over five furlongs and the £70,000 Group Two Barrett Steel May Hill Stakes (3.00pm) for fillies over a mile.
Also on the card is the popular £40,000 Ladbrokes Mallard Handicap (1.55pm) over the Ladbrokes St Leger distance of an extended mile and three quarters.
The historic Stobart Doncaster Cup was first staged in 1801, making it the oldest of the major Cup races.