Final Classic on the
agenda for Galileo Rock
The world's oldest
Classic, the Ladbrokes St Leger, has attracted 43 entries for the 2013 renewal.
Boasting a record prize fund of £600,000 and run over one mile, six furlongs
and 132 yards, the Ladbrokes St Leger takes place for the 237th time on Saturday,
September 14, at Doncaster.
Aidan O'Brien was narrowly
denied a clean sweep of English Classics and an historic Triple Crown last year
when Camelot could only finish second to Encke at Doncaster. Ireland's champion
trainer looks set to be well represented this year with 12 entries including Leading
Light, who is Ladbrokes' 5/1 joint-favourite following a game success in
the Group Three Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot.
The Ballydoyle handler has
also entered Irish Derby third Festive Cheer, Investec Derby fourth Battle
Of Marengo and Eye Of The Storm, who hasn't run since going down by
a head in the Group Three Sandown Classic Trial in April. Completing O'Brien's
dozen entries are Fortify, Foundry, Kingdom, Plinth,
Sir Walter Scott, The Vatican, Victory Song and Waver.
Galileo Rock was third, half a length
behind Eye Of The Storm, at Sandown Park but the David Wachman-trained colt
shares favouritism with Leading Light following a pair of fine efforts in
Classic company.
The son of Galileo stayed
on well at Epsom Downs to finish third in the Investec Derby at the start of
June before filling the runner-up spot in the Irish Derby at the Curragh on
June 29.
He is set to try and
continue a fine family record on Town Moor as his three-parts brother, Saddler's
Rock, captured the two and a quarter-mile Doncaster Cup at the Ladbrokes St
Leger Festival in 2011.
Wachman commented:
"We are definitely thinking about the St Leger for Galileo Rock. He
has come out of his run in the Irish Derby fine and there is not a bother on
him.
"I suppose that his
second behind Trading Leather was his best run to date, although his run at
Epsom wasn't too bad either. The Irish Derby was a good race and we will see
how the form stacks up when the winner runs in the King George this weekend.
"Galileo Rock's
pedigree suggests that he is going to get better with age and we are hopeful
that he can keep improving.
"The St Leger is
still a long way away and there is no rush to decide where he runs next - we
will make up a plan as we go along."
Epsom's Classic form may
also be represented by Talent and Secret Gesture, who were first
and second respectively in the Investec Oaks. Ralph Beckett, who is responsible
for both fillies, saddled the 2008 Oaks winner Look Here to finish third at
Doncaster in 2008. The last filly to win the Ladbrokes St Leger was the Clive
Brittain-trained User Friendly in 1992.
Investec Derby runner-up Libertarian
may bid to bounce back from a disappointing seventh in the Irish Derby and he
could be joined by fellow Godolphin contenders Cap O'Rushes, who
finished fourth in the Irish Derby and Secret Number.
John Gosden boasts a
superb record in the Ladbrokes St Leger with four victories from his nine most
recent runners. The Newmarket handler may be represented by Feel Like
Dancing, who battled to victory over Jathabah and Havana Beat in
the Group Three Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket's July Festival, Excess
Knowledge and Nichols Canyon.
Sir Michael Stoute enjoyed
a first victory in the Ladbrokes St Leger in 2008 with Conduit - his 26th
runner in the race - and the trainer could have another Ballymacoll Stud-owned
contender in Liber Nauticus, who was fifth in the Investec Oaks on her
latest outing.
The trainer could also bid
to give The Queen another major staying prize following Estimate's Gold Cup
success with Bold Sniper, victorious in a 12-furlong Ascot handicap on
July 13. The Queen last enjoyed Classic success in the 1977 St Leger when the
filly Dunfermline famously got the better of subsequent dual Prix de l'Arc de
Triomphe victor Alleged.
The late Sir Henry Cecil
won the Ladbrokes St Leger on four occasions and his widow Lady Cecil has made
two entries - the unbeaten Mighty Yar and Retirement Plan, owned
by Khalid Abdullah and successful in a mile and a half maiden at Doncaster on
June 16.
A total of six French-trained
horses have won the Ladbrokes St Leger since 1945, most recently Toulon in
1991. The one entry from the other side of the Channel this year is Pacific
Rim. Owned by the Wildenstein family and trained by Mikel Delzangles, the
Singspiel filly has won three of her four starts, most recently taking the
Group Two Prix de Malleret at Saint-Cloud on June 25.
In addition to the 12
entries from Aidan O'Brien and Galileo Rock, there are a further four
Irish-trained entries. These include the Mick Halford-trained Dabadiyan,
owned by the Aga Khan and a comfortable winner of his latest two starts at the
Curragh and Weather Watch, who has landed his last two races for Jessica
Harrington at Tipperary and Leopardstown. John Oxx could be represented by Little
White Cloud, sixth last time in the Irish Derby, who carries the colours of
American owner Neil Jones, successful in the 2000 St Leger with Millenary.
The last horse trained in
Yorkshire to win the Ladbrokes St Leger was Bollin Eric in 2002. Trainer Ann
Duffield supplies the one entry from Yorkshire this year in Willie The
Whipper, who ran a good race to finish a staying-on sixth in the French
Derby.
Opening prices from
Ladbrokes: 5/1
Galileo Rock, Leading Light; 10/1 Libertarian; 14/1 Talent, Pacific Rim; 16/1
Battle Of Marengo, Bold Sniper, Dabadiyan, Eye Of The Storm, Festive Cheer,
Liber Nauticus, Mighty Yar, Secret Gesture; 20/1 Feel Like Dancing, Mutashaded;
25/1 Cap O'Rushes, Excess Knowledge, Foundry, Kingdom, Little White Cloud,
Retirement Plan, Sir Walter Scott, Weather Watch; 33/1 Contributer, Havana
Beat, Secret Number, Testudo, The Vatican; 40/1 Elidor, Great Hall, Nichols
Canyon, Renew, Victory Song, Willie The Whipper; 50/1 Fortify, King George
River, London Bridge, Plinth, Spillway; 66/1 Dashing Star, Jathabah, Ralston
Road, Waver (1/4 odds 1,2,3)
Hayley O'Connor of
Ladbrokes said: "There appears to be plenty of depth to the entries and we
think Leading Light and Galileo Rock currently set the standard for the final
Classic of the season."
About the Ladbrokes St
Leger Festival
The Ladbrokes St Leger
Festival is the jewel in the crown of horse racing in Yorkshire and the
showpiece of Doncaster's social calendar. Racegoers enjoy a delightful blend of
history, quality racing and live entertainment across the four-day racing extravaganza.
The 2013 renewal takes place from Wednesday, September 11 through to Saturday,
September 14 inclusive.
Since the first running of
the St Leger in 1776, racegoers from all over the country have been drawn to
Doncaster to capture a taste of the unique atmosphere.
The famous Festival is one
of the highlights of the Flat racing calendar. The crescendo builds to
Saturday, when the flagship event - the illustrious Ladbrokes St Leger - takes
centre-stage.
The meeting also features
a number of high-class supporting races, highlights being the Scarbrough Stakes
on Leger Legends Day (Wednesday), the DFS Park Hill Stakes on DFS Ladies' Day
(Thursday), the Doncaster Cup on Friday and the At The Races Champagne Stakes
and OLBG Park Stakes on Saturday.
For further details and to
book tickets, please contact Doncaster Racecourse on 01302 304230 or go to www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk
Breakdown
of entries by trainer with past successes in the Ladbrokes St Leger
12 entries
Aidan O'Brien IRE (2001
Milan, 2003 Brian Boru, 2005 Scorpion)
3 Entries
John Gosden (1996
Shantou, 2007 Lucarno, 2010 Arctic Cosmos, 2011 Masked Marvel)
Saeed bin Suroor (1995
Classic Cliche, 1998 Nedawi, 1999 Mutafaweq, 2004 Rule Of Law, 2009 Mastery)
2 Entries
Ralph Beckett
Lady Cecil
Brian Meehan
Sir Michael Stoute (2008
Conduit)
1 Entry
Alan Bailey
Andrew Balding
Marco Botti
Clive Brittain (1978
Julio Mariner, 1992 User Friendly)
Mick Channon
Mikel Delzangles FR
Ann Duffield
Ed Dunlop
David Elsworth
Mick Halford IRE
Jessica Harrington IRE
Eve Johnson Houghton
Jo Hughes
John Oxx IRE
Pat Shanahan IRE
Roger Varian
David Wachman IRE
THE
LADBROKES ST LEGER
Class 1,
Group 1, £600,000 total prize fund. Part of the QIPCO British
Champions Series. 3.50pm, Doncaster, Saturday, September 14, 2013. For
three-year-olds only, entire colts and fillies. One mile, six furlongs and 132
yards. Weights: colts 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Entries closed July 23, entries
revealed July 24 (43 entries) Scratchings deadline noon, August 27.
Five-day confirmation and £45,000 supplementary entry stage Monday, September
9. Final declaration stage, Thursday, September 12. Form figures supplied by
Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, July 22.
Form
Horse Owner Trainer
1-11420 BATTLE
OF MARENGO (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan
O'Brien IRE
01131 BOLD
SNIPER The Queen Sir Michael Stoute
162-344 CAP
O'RUSHES Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
6(1)-1224
CONTRIBUTER (IRE) George Bolton Ed Dunlop
(4)4-411 DABADIYAN
(IRE) H H Aga Khan Mick Halford IRE
1-50106 DASHING
STAR Jeff Smith David Elsworth
24-3221 ELIDOR
Jon and Julia Aisbitt Mick Channon
120-3 EXCESS
KNOWLEDGE Khalid Abdullah John Gosden
13-2
EYE OF THE STORM (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier
Aidan O'Brien IRE
14521
FEEL LIKE DANCING Lady Bamford John Gosden
5(1)-303 FESTIVE
CHEER (FR) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan
O'Brien IRE
2-12222 FORTIFY
(IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan
O'Brien IRE
1- FOUNDRY
(IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien
IRE
15-332
GALILEO ROCK (IRE) Michael O'Flynn David Wachman
IRE
0-611
GREAT HALL Raymond Tooth Brian Meehan
21-4353 HAVANA
BEAT (IRE) Mick and Janice Mariscotti Andrew Balding
(3)(1)(4)342
JATHABAH (IRE) Mohammed Al Nabouda Clive Brittain
(3)-(2)(2)(1)(1)2
KING GEORGE RIVER (IRE) John Stocker Alan Bailey
351-221 KINGDOM
(IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien
IRE
41-111
LEADING LIGHT (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor
Aidan O'Brien IRE
1-15
LIBER NAUTICUS (IRE) Ballymacoll Stud Sir Michael
Stoute
14120
LIBERTARIAN Godolphin Saeed bin
Suroor
4(1)-326 LITTLE
WHITE CLOUD (IRE) Neil Jones John Oxx IRE
(6)01113 LONDON
BRIDGE (USA) Eastwind Racing Ltd and Martha Trussell Jo Hughes
(1)-1
MIGHTY YAR (IRE) Tony Evans Lady Cecil
1-13
MUTASHADED (USA) Hamdan Al Maktoum Roger Varian
231-326 NICHOLS
CANYON Rachel Hood & Elaine Lawlor John Gosden
4111
PACIFIC RIM (IRE) Wildenstein Stables Limited Mikel
Delzangles FR
5313
PLINTH (IRE) Annemarie O'Brien Aidan
O'Brien IRE
0-21100 RALSTON
ROAD (IRE) Thistle Bloodstock Limited Pat Shanahan IRE
64-121
RENEW (IRE) Giuliano Manfredini Marco
Botti
01 RETIREMENT
PLAN Khalid Abdullah Lady Cecil
21-12
SECRET GESTURE Qatar Racing Ltd & Newsells Park Stud
Ralph Beckett
(1)-(1)(3)64
SECRET NUMBER Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
(1)-
SIR WALTER SCOTT (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan
O'Brien IRE
(2)-(1)(1)130
SPILLWAY Virginia Neale Eve Johnson
Houghton
3(1)-110 TALENT
James Rowsell & Mark Dixon Ralph Beckett
614
TESTUDO (IRE) Sangster Family Brian Meehan
3-11
THE VATICAN (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan
O'Brien IRE
3 VICTORY
SONG (IRE) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan
O'Brien IRE
52413
WAVER (IRE) Annemarie O'Brien Aidan
O'Brien IRE
011
WEATHER WATCH (IRE) Juliet Cooper Jessica
Harrington IRE
112-46
WILLIE THE WHIPPER Qatar Racing Limited Ann Duffield
43
entries
17
Irish-trained
1
French-trained
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