Ladbrokes St Leger: How they stack up ahead of the final Classic
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The world’s oldest Classic is now just days away with the respective trainers making their final preparations for this year’s Ladbrokes St Leger.
So, how does the field stack up and what should we expect on Saturday 10 September?
Following Monday’s big race declarations there are 15 horses remaining.
We’ve taken a look at the chief protagonists set to contest the 1m6f showpiece at Doncaster.
The Master of Ballydoyle has won the St Leger on four previous occasions and Aidan O’Brien can feel confident of adding another to his collection.
With the all-conquering Harzand engaged in the Irish Champion Stakes on the same afternoon this is arguably an open-goal for the Great Voltigeur winner with that race a key trial for the Leger.
John Gosden’s colt is seen as the biggest threat to the jolly and given his impressive progression this season it’s not hard to see why.
A Listed winner at Chester last time out, Muntahaa has also been in Group company this season, with his third in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot another boost to his claims.
Another victim of Harzand this summer, Red Verdon got closer to the winner’s enclosure when finishing as the runner-up in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris back in July.
Hasn’t been disgraced against this sort of opposition but will need to find more to add a Classic to his CV.
AOB still has seven runners left following the week’s early declarations with this second-string finishing behind stablemate Idaho last time out.
O’Brien’s so-called lesser lights are no strangers to success and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Housesofparliament could take the spoils this weekend.
The Bahrain Trophy winner should relish the stamina sapping trip and give a good account of himself against his more illustrious opponent.
A similar case can be made for Sword Fighter, another lively O’Brien outsider. The two-mile Goodwood Cup slog was always going to be an arduous task hot on the heels of Royal Ascot and Curragh Cup success and so it proved.
But with an extended break and a step back down in trip on the horizon there’s every reason to believe that this talented three-year-old can once again overturn those from the same yard.
The Irish St Leger runner-up finished third behind Sword Fighter in the Queen’s Vase. And since then Twilight Payment got off the mark at the Curragh and only found supreme stayer Order of St George too good on his most recent appearance.
Jim Bolger’s entrant further strengthens an already formidable challenge from across the Irish Sea.
Richard Hannon will probably be doing a rain dance ahead of the big race with Ventura Storm preferring a bit of cut in the ground.
The Prix de Reux hero is another Group winner and one to watch if the heavens open.
Well beaten by a few of these re-opposing rivals in the Queen’s Vase but not too far away over 1m5f when contesting the Geoffrey Freer Stakes last time out.
That said, Ormito will need to hit new heights to figure prominently at Donny.
33/1 bar
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
