THE LATEST NEWS AHEAD OF THE LADBROKES ST LEGER

 

THE LATEST NEWS AHEAD OF THE LADBROKES ST LEGER

FIVE-DAY CONFIRMATIONS & QUOTES FROM CONNECTIONS

GOING UPDATE FROM DONCASTER RACECOURSE

THE LADBROKES ST LEGER

Class 1, Group 1, £550,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.40pm, Doncaster, Saturday, September 15, 2012. For three-year-olds only, entire colts and fillies. One mile, six furlongs & 132 yards. Weights: colts 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Entries closed July 24, entries revealed July 25 (36 entries). Scratchings deadline noon, August 28 (16 remained), five-day confirmation & £45,000 supplementary entry stage Monday, September 10 (11 confirmations) , final declaration stage 10am, Thursday, September 13. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, September 9, 2012.

Form Horse Owner Trainer Jockey

1) 11-111 CAMELOT Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE

2) 61 CHAMONIX (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE

3) (5)-(3)(2)(5)(3)(0)5 DARTFORD (USA) Bjorn Nielsen John Gosden

4) 21-123 ENCKE (USA) Godolphin Mahmood Al Zarooni

5) 2111 GUARANTEE Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-Authorized William Haggas

6) 1-101 IMPERIAL MONARCH (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE

7) 11-1(1)242 MAIN SEQUENCE (USA) Niarchos Family David Lanigan Ted Durcan

8) 3113 MICHELANGELO Bjorn Nielsen John Gosden

9) 01-5115 THOMAS CHIPPENDALE (IRE) Sir Robert Ogden Sir Henry Cecil Tom Queally

10) 1-21431 THOUGHT WORTHY (USA) George Strawbridge John Gosden

11) (2)(1)2111 URSA MAJOR (IRE) Andrew Tinkler Tommy Carmody IRE

11 five-day confirmations

4 Irish-trained

  

Aidan O'Brien and Joseph O'Brien were interviewed on a media trip to Ballydoyle today and a release on their thoughts about Camelot will follow.

LADBROKES ST LEGER

QUOTES FROM THE OTHER CONNECTIONS

Main Sequence, Niarchos Family, David Lanigan

Trainer David Lanigan said: "Main Sequence worked on Saturday and everything went fine. He will have his final piece of work on Wednesday.

"He will also be left in the Prix Niel but the plan is to go for the Ladbrokes St Leger.

"I think the Great Voltigeur was a farce, to put it politely! It was run at a hack canter and the time was six seconds slower than any other race run that day. Basically, it turned into a sprint and Main Sequence is not a sprinter, it was very difficult for him.

"Hopefully, there will be plenty of pace in the St Leger, I know John Gosden is planning to run a pacemaker and it will be a true run race which is what we want.

"Ted Durcan will ride again."

Encke, Godolphin, Mahmood Al Zarooni

Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni remarked "Everything is fine with Encke and I think that he will head to Doncaster in the same form as when he ran at York.

"This will be the biggest test of his career and we still don't know how good he really is. He has never been in a Group One contest before but I think that he will run a good race - he is a tough horse who always gives everything.

"The distance will be fine for him and he seems to cope with most types of ground. We can dream of beating Camelot but anything can happen in this game and our horse deserves to take his chance."

Thomas Chippendale, Sir Robert Ogden, Sir Henry Cecil

Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden, said: "Thomas Chippendale has been confirmed for the Ladbrokes St Leger.

"He is in good form and has been working well since he ran at York. We are looking forward to a good run from him.

"From our point of view, the Great Voltigeur was a bit of a wasted race as there was no pace and the time was very slow.

"I am not suggesting he would have won, but I think you can put a line through the race as a Leger trial for our horse - it certainly didn't suit us and maybe one or two of the other runners as well.

"As a Yorkshireman, I know the Ladbrokes St Leger is a race Sir Robert would dearly love to win."

Guarantee, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, William Haggas

Harry Herbert, racing manager for owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Authorized syndicate, said: "William (Haggas) reports Guarantee to be in great form. His latest piece of work was on Friday and he worked well.

"Since York, he has been eating up, bucking and kicking. It is encouraging to know that the horse is clearly thriving and hopefully he is still improving too.

"Obviously, it is a massive leap from winning a 0-105 handicap to taking on Classic horses in the Ladbrokes St Leger but this will be his last race of the season and we have nothing to lose.

"I would be delighted if we could be in the unsaddling enclosure with a horse in the first four on Saturday. Hopefully, he can do himself justice. Phillip Makin, who knows him so well, rides once again.

"Fingers crossed, we will get there in one piece. It will be great to see Camelot run but hopefully we can spoil the party! We have seen upsets in the St Leger, including Shergar, but for us it is just so exciting to just have a contender.

"Anything can happen with horses stepping up in trip but at least we know our horse has proven stamina, as he won over a mile and six furlongs at York last time.

"Guarantee was a 50,000 guineas breeze-up horse and for the shareholders to have a runner in Classic with a real shout is amazing.

"He will be our fourth runner in the Ladbrokes St Leger. Our previous three runners all ran well, with Highest faring best when runner-up in 2002."

Ursa Major, Andrew Tinkler, Tommy Carmody IRE

Tim Jones, racing manager to owner Andrew Tinkler, said: "Ursa Major has been left in the Ladbrokes St Leger and the Irish St Leger and the decision about where to run will be taken later in the week once we have seen the entries.

"He has improved with every run and we hope there is further improvement in him. It is typical of his breeding that he has improved as time has gone on.

"We are now throwing him in at the deep end on Saturday."

Thought Worthy, George Strawbridge, John Gosden

John Gosden said: "He's been fine since York where he showed he's a very game horse. He's from a family of tough staying horses.

"Thought Worthy's brother Lucarno was also fourth in the Derby and won the Great Voltigeur. Lucarno then won the Ladbrokes St Leger and I hope Thought Worthy can do the same.

"We are taking on a very fine horse in Camelot and naturally all the focus has been on him and the Triple Crown. But it takes other horses to make a race and Thought Worthy will stay the trip. Whether he can stay it fast enough is the question."

Michelangelo, Bjorn Nielsen, John Gosden

John Gosden said: "Michelangelo is fine and has done nothing wrong in his four races. He was third in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood which is not everybody's track.

"He was staying on well at the end of that race and so did Arctic Cosmos before winning the Ladbrokes St Leger two years ago."

Dartford, Bjorn Nielsen, John Gosden

John Gosden said: "Dartford is a pacemaker for Michelangelo. The one thing we do not want is a stop-start race. He is running to ensure a decent regular pace."

DONCASTER GROUND

The going at Doncaster remains:

GOOD TO FIRM, GOOD IN PLACES

Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin reported today: "We finished the weekend's watering cycle this morning, with an average of 20 millimetres applied to the track.

"The forecast is for a few showers in the early hours of tomorrow which should yield around two to three millimetres.

"Tomorrow and Wednesday are forecast to be overcast and there is a chance of some light showers.

"From Thursday onwards, conditions are predicted to become drier and brighter."