ST LEGER STAKES
Saturday 14th September Doncaster, 3:40pm
Illinois @ 15/8
Jan Brueghel @ 4/1
You Got To Me @ 9/2
Grosvenor Square @ 5/1
Sunway @ 5/1
view odds
*prices correct at time of writing.
THE RACE
The £743,000 St Leger (3-40) can legitimately be said to be the daddy of them all. If horse-racing in Britain is the longest-standing organised sport in the world (which it is) then, as its oldest Classic – first staged in 1776, three years before the Oaks – the Doncaster feature is right at the top of the sporting family tree. It tests stamina over one-mile, six-furlongs and – crucially – about 115 yards. Alongside, on an action-packed Saturday, Irish Champions Weekend gets underway at Leopardstown.
THE MARKET
With Ryan Moore in Ireland, Wayne Lordan partners Queen’s Vase winner Illinois as he and two stablemates seek to give Aidan O’Brien an eighth success. Only one of those behind Illinois at Ascot has won since, but he put in a course-record time (before fine seconds at Longchamp and at York) and the race has proved a productive guide.
Jan Brueghel is unbeaten, most recently showing grit aplenty when stepped up to twelve-furlongs at Goodwood and successfully conceding weight to subsequent Nashville Derby winner Bellum Justum. Further still is likely to be within his skill-set. Grosvenor Square has deep reserves of stamina judged by recent good performances – including against older rivals – at The Curragh.
Ralph Beckett’s record in the race has to offer extra encouragement for the supplemented You Got To Me: from just five runners Beckett has pretty remarkable form figures of 3–2–1–6–4. A tongue-tie – and natural maturing – seem to have made all the difference to the Irish Oaks-winning filly and should ensure her stamina is no issue.
Sunway indicated in gallant Irish Derby and King George defeats that this extra distance could be the answer. Deira Mile was slightly disappointing last time after a break, but his Derby fourth puts him right in the mix.
THE WINNER
Fearing the filly in particular, I’m hoping less-exposed Jan Brueghel will paint the town Westerberg maroon and blue – what about you?
CORN’S QUARTET
Sunway’s rider Christophe Soumillon, who hasn’t graced Doncaster for a while, also rides Apollo One in the Portland (2-25) – it’ll be interesting to see how he clicks with the serial near-misser.
Soumillon replaces Leopardstown-bound Richard Kingscote, jockey on the redoubtable Ghostwriter against Auguste Rodin, Economics, Los Angeles and co. in a smashing Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (3-25). Economics looks – and just feels – like something extra special as he makes his Group One debut; however, the scale of the task ahead for the Tom Marquand-ridden colt is clear, considering Auguste Rodin’s on-song record and Ballydoyle’s twelve Champion Stakes victories, including the last five.
Form probably shouldn’t be taken too literally but in Leopardstown’s Matron (2-50) there is Porta Fortuna (Marquand again) which walked all over the more-than-solid A Lilac Roller at Newmarket, and Fallen Angel which had to pull out a few stops for a narrower Irish Guineas success over her – and drying ground could be an issue for FA.
Chester, 4-05, rain-softened going, ten furlongs, plus stall 2 = Maghlaak repaying Goodwood losses (hopefully).
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