Leading Light was the star of the show at Doncaster Saturday afternoon as he
banished the memory of Camelot 12 months earlier to land the Group 1 St Leger
for Ballydoyle.
The 7-2 favorite was always handy and picked up well off a slow pace when the
tempo began to quicken three furlongs from home. He put daylight between himself
and the field with a couple of furlongs to go and fought off the late challenge
of runner-up Talent to record a 1 1/4-length success.
John Magnier, whose wife Sue owns the three-year-old in partnership with
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, hinted that the St Leger winner could be
heading to Paris for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp at the beginning
of October.
“We thought he had a good chance in the race but you can’t be confident about
winning a classic,” John Magnier said. “However, we do hold him in high regard
and even this morning, Aidan (O’Brien) was talking about possibly going to the
Arc with him. He’s not in the race at the moment so we’d have to supplement him.
Unlike the rest of the field, the son of Montjeu was stepping back in trip
following his victory in the two-mile Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot last time out
and the trainer was quick to point out just how versatile the three-year-old is.
“He was always a very solid horse. His form before Ascot was mile and a
quarter form and the lads wanted to go to Ascot for that race. He has plenty of
class as he stays and he quickens,” O’Brien said.
“The lads have always thought a lot of him at home. He was always very
versatile trip-wise and it was a big jump up to two miles at Ascot. He is a good
horse as most of his form before the Queen’s Vase was over a mile and a quarter.
Joseph O’Brien was riding his first St Leger winner and revealed that he had
to galvanize Leading Light early on in the race in order to get a good position.
“He jumped a little slowly and I could see a couple of horses going forward.
I knew that we weren’t going to go much of a gallop when they were taken back so
I gave mine a kick just to get up there, so I could get a good position. He’s
quite lazy in his races — he has the cheekpieces.
“We got going plenty early and I thought that, if I didn’t hit him until a
furlong and a half out, I would win. He’s tough.”
Talent, the only filly in the St Leger line-up, bounced back to something
like her best. The daughter of New Approach led home a one-two for her trainer
Ralph Beckett in the Oaks at Epsom Downs in June, but finished last of seven
behind Chicquita in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh on July 20.
“It’s great to get her back after such a poor run in Ireland,” Beckett said.
“She got tight for room at a crucial stage and probably lost a bit of momentum
but the winner has won well. We would have loved to have had a clearer run, but
it was a great run.
“I am thrilled to bits with her and I feel like I have won because her run in
Ireland was so bad and I still don’t really have a reason for it, except the
ground.
“We will look at the fillies and mares race on Champions Day, providing the
ground is on the soft side.”
Trainer David Wachman only decided at around 6 a.m. to run Galileo Rock and
the consistent three-year-old Galileo colt was placed in a third successive
classic, beaten two lengths. Galileo Rock was third in the Derby at Epsom Downs
in early June and then came second in the Irish Derby.
“He has run really well on ground he cannot really handle but it was probably
the right decision to run. The winner ran very well so no excuses,” Wachman
said.
“Obviously, we would have liked a sounder surface but I am very happy as he
ran a good, honest race. It is more than satisfactory and I am happy we came. We
might travel with him at the end of the year but we will see how he is and talk
to the owners.”
Outstrip won the seven-furlong, Group 2 Champagne Stakes in great style,
scoring by three lengths eased down by Mickael Barzalona. The Godolphin
two-year-old, who gave trainer Charlie Appleby his biggest success to date, was
slow into stride as Barzalona wanted to hold up the gray Exceed and Excel colt.
Outstrip raced a bit keenly initially in third but was then settled last of
the four runners. He made good progress on the outside to challenge below the
distance and took the lead by the furlong pole. Outstrip went clear and
Barzalona was able to take things easy in the closing stages. The winning time
was 1:26.90.
“I was very confident, without being too confident, coming into the race,”
said Appleby, who started training for Godolphin on July 25. “When he ran in the
Vintage (at Glorious Goodwood), we just got touched off on the line and Mickael
said that, if he knew that the horse had such a turn of foot, he would have
waited longer that day.
“They were two nice colts that went away from the rest in the Vintage, so I
was confident today. Hopefully, the winner will frank the form in Ireland.
“Going forward, we will look at the Dewhurst or go to France for the (Prix
Jean Luc) Lagardere. Those are the two options we have in place and we will see
how the horse comes out of this race. He is a horse who will strengthen. I would
like to see him do that and a mile will be his trip next year. We will cross
those bridges when we come to them.”
“I wanted to give him the best experience that I could — drop him in, make
him relax and quicken well in the end,” Barzalona added. “He’s a nice horse —
he has improved plenty since his last run. It was maybe my fault last time that
he didn’t win but today I gave him a good experience and he will improve again.”
This was Godolphin’s sixth success in the Champagne Stakes following on from
Noverre (2000), Dubai Destination (2001), Almushahar (2002), Poet’s Voice (2009)
and Saamidd (2010).
Trainer Kevin Ryan was very happy with The Grey Gatsby after he finished the
three-length runner-up to Outstrip. The 13-8 joint-favorite has been remarkably
consistent this season and finished second in the Acomb Stakes at York last
month after making a winning debut on the Knavesmire in July.
“We’re delighted with that given the fact that he’s still a little
inexperienced,” Ryan said. “He’s improving with every run and it looked like he
was going to get beaten for second at one point but he keeps sticking his neck
out. He’s very genuine and was going on again at the end.
“He’s in the Dewhurst (at Newmarket) and the Racing Post Trophy back here at
Doncaster so we’ll take a look at those two races and see how they pan out.
“There were no excuses with the ground as he needs a bit of juice in it which
should mean he has his conditions later on in the year. Time will tell whether
he’ll be a miler but I suspect he may end up over a mile and a quarter as a
three-year-old. We’ve got plenty to look forward to.”
Charles Hills was also looking to the future with Cable Bay after the 5-1
shot had finished a farther head back in third.
“He was a bit short of room at a crucial point and was probably intimidated a
little bit,” the trainer said. “He’s run a very solid race but I just wonder
whether the trip stretched him a bit. He’s in the Dewhurst and the Racing Post
Trophy but there’s a decent Group 2 race at Maisons-Laffitte over 6 1/2 furlongs
later on in the year that I’ve got my eye on and he may end up there.”
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