Four to follow for Friday: Tom Stanley marks your card

There’s a good card at Doncaster on Friday and that’s where my main focus is. I will be at Chester for Racing UK and also have a fancy for there. Hopefully, the forecast rain has not materialised in spades or else there may be a few non runners to contend with. We shall see.

Talaayeb did us a favour at York last time and she’s back for more in the Sceptre Stakes. She has a penalty to contend with but she’s probably the most talented filly in this field and I was tempted to side with her again.

However, the 9-1 on offer about Tomyris is too big to ignore. I’m a big fan of hers, particularly the way she won at York back in May on soft ground.

It will likely be quicker after another a dry day at Doncaster on Thursday but she has won on quick and it was interesting that Roger Varian nominated the Coronation Stakes as her next target straight after the York win. She ran respectably there and I’m not sure Goodwood played to her strengths last time. This track should suit better and I fancy she’ll outrun her odds on only her fifth start of the campaign.

You can pick holes in the form of the Queen Mary but Heartache won it well in a good time by two and a half lengths.

She was disappointing on the face of things in the Prix Robert Papin and has something to prove here but drying ground is in her favour here and I can’t forget Adam Kirby’s face after Ascot.

He was blown away by her, said he was never in doubt she’d pick up the Wesley Ward filly and it’s not difficult to excuse her French run, especially as she apparently returned with a small muscle problem.

She got a bump early that lit her up and she paid the price late on having hit the front inside the last half furlong. I’m keeping the faith and think she should head the market. Hopefully she gets a smoother start on Friday afternoon.

Elsewhere on the Doncaster card I fancy Byron Flyer and Desert Skyline (cliff horse for the season) to go well but a last selection comes in the form of Normandy Barriere in the six and a half furlong handicap.

He saves his best for here and proved it again last time out when not winning, but showing improved form over seven. He won this last year off 5lb lower, is back to his last winning mark and you fancy connections will have had an eye on this for some time.

He will want something to take him into it but is drawn next to Muntadab, so should get just that. Hopefully the wind will continue to blow as we could do without soft in the going description.

I backed Suegioo at York last time and he is a personal favourite. That’s largely because I was onside when he won the Chester Cup a few years ago. It's certainly not on recent efforts but he is a very well treated horse and tempting.

This small field may not pay to his strengths, though, and Key Bid will be a tough nut to crack. He is up 7lb for a comprehensive win here last time over shorter and I don’t see two miles being a problem.

Expect him to be handy today with the blinkers retained and hopefully Perfect Summer gives him a nice tow into it. He should be difficult to beat.

Tom Stanley’s tips for Friday:

(prices correct at 7pm on Thursday)

1.50 Doncaster: Tomyris at a general 9-1

2.25 Doncaster: Heartache at a general 13-8

4.35 Doncaster: Normandy Barriere at a general 7-1

5.05 Chester: Key Bid at Evens with William Hill