Veteran sprinter heads our Lucky 15 as St Leger Festival begins
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The start of the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival is here and we’re chomping at the bit to get involved with the action.
So with day one on Town Moor upon us, there is only one way to approach the impending arrival of the final Classic of the season.
And that is with a huge-odds Lucky 15, with the four-fold alone paying out at over 9,500/1!
We’re going each-way to maximise the chance of a return, but whatever you do remember that throughout the St Leger meeting Ladbrokes will be rewarding punters who find those big priced winners all week. Click here for more details.
For now though, here are our picks to come good in Yorkshire.
This writer cannot resist backing the evergreen veteran sprinter at any opportunity, but this time it’s not just a case of heart ruling head.
Despite being into double figures now, Robert Cowell’s charge has shown little signs of age catching up with him, going down by just 3l in his last three races against decent opposition.
A drop back to Listed class, a level he was successful at in May, could see him roll back the years under James Doyle.
A slow start put paid to any chance of this success last term, with subsequent Nunthorpe winner Mecca’s Angel taking the prize, but start brighter and he can go close.
All the hype around this race will be around AP McCoy’s return to riding, but with the ‘Champ’s mount set to be backed to the hilt, there could be plenty of value elsewhere.
While he remains a 13 race maiden, Nigel Tinkler’s Cliff is as consistent as they come, making the frame in six of his last nine outings.
He was fifth in this race last year when refusing to settle in the early stages. The visor he wore that day is no longer in use and he looks a decent pick to go a couple better than 12 months ago.
The addition of blinkers will need to have worked their magic to boost this one’s win propositions but her form so far this season is not without hope.
Going down just over 3l to the classy Osaila in a Listed contest at Royal Ascot is no disgrace while finishing 4l off 2,000 Guineas third Bossy Guest is equally acceptable.
She was well beaten last time out at Newmarket and has subsequently been dropped 1lb in the weights, but a two month break could have done her good, and with only two previous runs at this trip may be open to more improvement.
A narrow defeat in which he was only beaten a length at Windsor means that Ed de Giles gelding remains on a very handy mark here, a full 5lbs below the one he was last successful off.
The form of that last race looks solid enough with the three horses finishing in front of him running well in a better grade next time out and Elusivity, who was nearly 2l behind going down narrowly in Class 2 at Epsom last month.
Since his last victory in May he has been running with plenty of credibility rarely beaten far at all, the furthest defeat coming by 9l when losing a shoe at Newmarket, and another big run is expected at Donny.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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