By Tom Frary
It may have been a quiet 2018 for Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stable by last year's exalted standards, but few establishments would complain about a state of affairs that included three British Classic victories in a calendar year. That is what Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) supplied on Doncaster's Town Moor on Saturday as he punished his rivals with a perfect combination of staying power and speed in the G1 William Hill St Leger. Settled in mid-division early by Ryan Moore, the 3-1 second favourite made up his ground between the three and the two and after mastering stablemate Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) really hit his stride as Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) chased hard. Always too far away from that 7-4 favourite, the G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero was the emphatic 2 1/4-length winner in the end as the class duo pulled 4 1/2 lengths away from Southern France in third. “You couldn't fault him today, when he went forward it was all over in a flash,” Derrick Smith commented after Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore had made the dash to Leopardstown. “He'd be better on better ground–on fast he'd be a handful. He's always looked a Leger type, but he does have plenty of pace so he has lots of options. Obviously, something was wrong with them this year but that's life–it happens to everybody.”
By the middle of May, the attention was already turning to this Classic as Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) realistically threatened to bring more Triple Crown mythology to Rosegreen while Kew Gardens took a back seat after his first two efforts of 2018. A laboured third on his 3-year-old bow in the nine-furlong Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket Apr. 17, the bay was hard at work in arrears again next time as Knight To Behold (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) slipped away from him in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial over an extended 11 furlongs May 12. Losing a shoe on that occasion, he was sent to the June 2 G1 Epsom Derby with a legitimate excuse for that heavy defeat but became embroiled in a battle for the lead with that rival which ultimately saw him trail in ninth in the blue riband. Backing up quickly under contrasting tactics in the 14-furlong G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot June 20, he displayed the same hard-galloping style in beating Southern France by 4 1/2 lengths that he had exhibited when taking the Listed Zetland S. over 10 furlongs at Newmarket in October of his juvenile season.
Aided by the ideal lead-out horse in Nelson (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) there and again in the Grand Prix de Paris on Bastille Day, he swooped on Neufbosc (Fr) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) to win with authority and only the widespread virus kept him from taking on the deadly Stoute pair of older horses in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. On his return, he came from behind to close on Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) with genuine intent when third under a penalty in the Aug. 22 G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York and was firm favourite until Lah Ti Dar was routed here this week. Allowed to slide out to a starting price that seemed large in hindsight, he had the Lloyd-Webber homebred on his tail throughout as they sat a respectable distance back from the tempo created by Nelson with Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}) and Proschema (Ire) (Declaration of War) keeping up the pressure.
It was Southern France and Seamie Heffernan who looked the biggest danger up ahead with three furlongs remaining, but Moore was only just beginning to get the powerful-striding winner organised as Lah Ti Dar visibly struggled to find a rhythm in behind. When Kew Gardens overwhelmed his imposing stablemate, the contest was settled as Frankie Dettori could only muster a brave but ineffective response from the previously-unbeaten filly. She emerges with great credit, particularly as she was being niggled at a long way out and ran into one of the finest Leger winners of recent times as Kew Gardens recorded a time just outside standard and bettered only twice in the previous 10 years. “It was very smooth,” Ryan Moore commented. “He's a very uncomplicated horse and he tries very hard. He's got a great attitude to life and he picked up really well–a super horse.”
John Gosden said of Lah Ti Dar, “She ran a great race and as Frankie said, that's the first real race of her life. She's only ever seen about one horse before today. She was beaten by a proper horse and a proper Leger horse–a Grand Prix de Paris winner and a Queen's Vase winner. She's run an absolute blinder and we're thrilled with her. The early pace was a lot slower than we thought it would be. In the end the best horse won–make no mistake–but I like the way she was closing him down late on. She was getting to him and getting to him. There was a period at the three where you said 'she's not going to be placed', but then she got balanced and organised. We'll freshen her up and go for the [Oct. 20 G1 Qipco British Champions] Fillies' and Mares' race on Champions Day at Ascot and then put her away for next year. That's the plan.”
Kew Gardens is out of the G1 Moyglare Stud S.-winning Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}), who also placed in the G1 Pretty Polly S. and G1 Premio Lydia Tesio. From the family of the G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner and GI San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. runner-up River Warden (Riverman) and the GIII Hoist the Flag S. scorer Sweettuc (Spectacular Bid), she has also produced two other black-type performers headed by the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest third Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}). Chelsea Rose has three more Galileos in the offing, with colts in 2016 and 2018 and a filly in between.
Saturday, Doncaster, Britain
WILLIAM HILL ST LEGER S.-G1, £743,000, Doncaster, 9-15, 3yo, 14f 115yT, 3:03.34, gd.
1–KEW GARDENS (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Ire at 9.5-10.5f, G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Ity, $527,260), by Desert King (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cinnamon Rose, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sweet Simone (Fr), by Green Dancer
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £421,355. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr & GSP-Ire, 12-5-2-2, $1,217,492. *1/2 to Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), GSW & G1SP-Fr, $262,616; and Hamlool (Ire) (Red Ransom), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lah Ti Dar (GB), 124, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Dar Re Mi (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). O-Lord Lloyd-Webber; B-Watership Down Stud (GB); T-John Gosden. £159,745.
3–Southern France (Ire), 127, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Alta Anna (Fr), by Anabaa. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £79,947.
Margins: 2 1/4, 4HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 3.00, 1.75, 20.00.
Also Ran: Dee Ex Bee (GB), Old Persian (GB), Raymond Tusk (Ire), Nelson (Ire), Proschema (Ire), Maid Up (GB), Loxley (Ire), The Pentagon (Ire), Zabriskie (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
