With the 250th instalment of the world’s oldest Classic on the horizon, Sky Sports Racing’s Mike Cattermole runs through every contender going to post on Town Moor at 3.35pm on Saturday; est Classic race. How many sporting events last this long? Very few.
So, who will take Saturday’s special renewal of the Betfred St Leger? First of all, it’s great to see the Derby winner, Christmas Day, lining up. Not all that many do the double, a fact that I appreciated early in my racing life when even the mighty Shergar could manage only fourth. In more recent years, Camelot just missed out on his Triple Crown attempt.
Remember, the Leger is only a furlong and a half shorter than two miles but you still need speed as well as stamina to take it. Never Say Die, St Paddy, Nijinksy and Reference Point are the last four to have backed up here after Epsom, however, so good luck to Christmas Day. He is closely matched with stablemate Pierre Bonnard but Aidan O’Brien’s hopes of a tenth Leger may be challenged by his own son, Joseph, trainer of the favourite, Enceladus. Jockey: TBC | Trainer: Aidan O’Brien I feel rather sorry for Action who, being a close relative of last year’s Derby winner and Leger fourth Lambourn, did little wrong in a juvenile campaign which yielded a third to Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge Stakes and then an even better second to Hawk Mountain here in the Group 1 Futurity.
Even this year’s campaign didn’t start too badly when he improved on a fourth in the Sandown Classic Trial to chase home the future Juddmonte hero, Item, in the Dante at York. It all started to go wrong when he raced way too freely in first-time cheekpieces in the Derby and since then he has been sacrificed as a pacemaker in the Irish Derby, King George and the Juddmonte. In the last-named, he didn’t get away anywhere quickly enough to do his job and a mid-race move still ended with him being tailed off. It doesn’t augur well for his prospects as he steps up in trip here.
I think he needs an arm around his powerful shoulders! Many who watched this year’s Derby may have gone away thinking that Alderman might end up being aimed at the Leger after he finished off rather well to take fifth (would have been fourth in another stride or two) behind Christmas Day, some two and a half lengths in front of Rebel Rocker in sixth. See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing Note that Pierre Bonnard, Ancient Egypt and Item were among those behind him. However, he failed to build on that in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, notably on firm going, when last of the five runners.
He remains a five-race maiden, albeit a talented one, and on the evidence of Epsom when the Derby was run on soft ground, any rain that falls this week will be a bonus. Even then, he has way too much to do here. Jockey: TBC | Trainer: Aidan O’Brien After last year’s Derby winner Lambourn failed to follow up here in fourth, we still await thefirst to emulate Reference Point who remains the last to win both Derby and St Leger in 1987. Christmas Day has a bright chance of doing it, though, especially if showers arrive on Town Moor.
His Derby win on soft ground was pretty emphatic, beating Arc-bound Maltese Cross by nearly three lengths and that is about the best form on offer here. He failed to back-up in the Irish Derby but went down fighting behind Benvenuto Cellini and a neck in front of Pierre Bonnard. The form-line with his stablemate was replicated in the Great Voltigeur when Pierre Bonnard reversed the placings in receipt of 5lb from the Derby winner as they were left toiling behind the upwardly mobile Maltese Cross. Christmas Day has been a model of consistency all season and shapes as though he could just about stay the trip.
I doubt he will improve for it, however, but he should be bang there. This big, long-striding colt is unbeaten as a three-year-old and gets better every time he shows up. The form of his King George V Handicap win at Royal Ascot has received multiple boosts and he did his bit in style to land the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood next time. There was a lot to like about the way he settled the issue with a fine turn of speed approaching the final furlong there, albeit with a tendency to edge right again, and rather more pronounced than it was at Ascot.
Maybe that is why they have fitted cheekpieces for today. It is six years since Joseph O’Brien won his first Leger with Galileo Chrome and, with this vintage season yielding so much, he must be optimistic of following up with this son of Sea The Stars. The fact that his half-brother won at a mile and six furlongs must add to the expectation, plus the fact that he arrives here fresher than most and with the chance of improvement to come. Sadly, Dylan Brown McMonagle is still recovering from a horror fall at Bellewstown and so Billy Loughnane is booked to wear the iconic Niarchos family silks.
Looked one to follow for Andrew Balding when winning his maiden at Chester’s Boodles May Festival and was expected to take some beating in the Queen’s Vase, for which he started favourite. But he could manage only sixth to Limestone. His very decent second in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket was a step back in the right direction but then came a heavy defeat in the Great Voltigeur at York. Sure, he probably did too much in that race, but it is hard to see him turning that all around here, even with the newly fitted cheekpieces.
One of the more unexposed runners, winning two of his four starts, including a tight verdict over Del Maro in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood. Never miss a story with all the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone. Find out more However, his progress stalled in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot when he was way too keen and was left behind in the home straight. His full brother Arabian Force stays a mile and six but he needs to settle down a bit to emulate him and also needs to improve a lot.
A record of one win from six but he is steadily improving and gained his only win with a comfortable stroll here over a mile and a half in July. He backed that up with a clear second in a valuable handicap at Goodwood but, as the lowest rated in the line-up, he does have a lot to find with some of these and even then, is not guaranteed to last out the trip. That said, he has been quietly backed in recent days and looks the first string from a top stable enjoying one of its finest campaigns. Stablemate of Enceladus and looks the second string but is, without doubt, the most fascinating contender in the field.
He has had an incredible turnaround after showing precious little in his first three starts, ranging between six and a half furlongs and a mile. Then, on his fourth appearance, and an SP of 250-1, there was more than a glimmer at Naas, again over a mile. It was some eyecatcher! Plenty more were watching when he then stepped up to almost a mile and a half at Killarney and duly strolled home by nine lengths.
Next, he went off at 22-1 and landed the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes over a mile and six furlongs at Leopardstown, hitting the line strongly, again with his customary high head carriage. So, we know he stays the trip and probably has more to offer and will be ridden by Saffie Osborne. Could they make history together? Anything is possible but in truth he needs to find plenty more to steal this.
Jockey: TBC | Trainer: Aidan O’Brien The most experienced runner in the field who looked every inch a Leger type at two when landing the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket and Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (beating the smart A Boy Named Susie) both over a mile and a quarter. The former was on good to firm and the latter on a testing surface so the ground comes alike to him, clearly. Had a patchy first half of the season, including when only seventh in the Derby, but has done a whole lot better in his two most recent appearances. He stayed on well for third, a neck behind Christmas Day, in the Irish Derby and then, in receipt of 5lb from his Derby-winning stablemate, reversed the form in the Great Voltigeur, giving Maltese Cross something to think about until the last few yards.
I cannot have this Camelot colt failing for stamina, especially as his dam’s half-sister was third in the Park Hill, and he has the form in the book to go very close. A useful and relatively unexposed colt who probably has more to offer but was a well-held sixth in the Derby and ran to a similar level in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury. There is stamina on his dam’s side that suggests he will stay well but even so, this represents a very tough ask. Jockey: TBC | Trainer: Aidan O’Brien The only filly in the line-up who won the Listed Cheshire Oaks but has come up short in Group company since, including in the Epsom and Curragh Oaks.
She didn’t seem to quite get home in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood over a mile and six furlongs two starts back, which was a surprise as she is bred to be suited by a trip like this one. At least she shaped better in the Give Thanks Stakes back over a mile and a half at Cork last time. Needs to find something from somewhere and I wish her well as she is named after a personal heroine of mine, who also happens to be a distant relative of my American wife! ENCELADUS arrives here on the crest of a wave for Joseph O’Brien, who has enjoyed a marvellous season.
He is on an upward curve with improvement not guaranteed, but surely very likely, and with the promise that the trip will suit. He gets a narrow vote and could become the first European Classic winner for the Niarchos family since Study Of Man won the French Derby in 2018. It would be the second Classic of the season for Billy Loughnane. Derby winner Christmas Day has performed at a consistent level all season but his prep at York perhaps lacked a little sparkle and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Pierre Bonnard finished ahead of him again, especially over this trip.
Both are by Camelot (as is Amelia Earhart) who is a real stamina influence. I will be intrigued to see how Highwayman goes and fancy him to grab fourth in a race that the incredible O’Brien family look set to dominate.
