G1 St Leger

In an outstanding renewal of Doncaster's G1 St Leger on Saturday, it was the much-missed colossus Galileo (Ire) who had his inimitable stamp on proceedings with his sons Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire) waging war in a clear demonstration of one of the most common characteristics of his breed. While the eventual winner Jan Brueghel had yet to go into the red zone in a career that only commenced in May, the son of Devoted To You (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who had already provided a Classic winner in...

Aidan O'Brien has whittled his G1 St Leger team down to three sons of Galileo (Ire) after the final confirmations were made for the Doncaster Classic on Thursday morning. Wayne Lordan will partner the G2 Queen's Vase winner and G1 Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Illinois (Ire), who will be joined as expected by the unbeaten G3 Gordon Stakes-winning TDN Rising Star Jan Brueghel (Ire) and the emphatic G3 Irish St Leger Trial Stakes winner Grosvenor Square (Ire). Jockeys for the latter pair have yet to be announced. Sean Levey...

Aidan O'Brien dominates the entries for the G1 Betfred St Leger, which takes place at Doncaster on Saturday, September 14. Of the 25 entries, O'Brien is responsible for no fewer than 14 of them, headed by G1 Irish Derby hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and the unbeaten Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). They could be joined at Doncaster by two of the stable's Royal Ascot winners in G2 Queen's Vase scorer Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})--last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris--and Port Fairy...

Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), who won the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, is headed for some time off, with connections opting for a 4-year-old staying campaign, according to racing advisor Richard Brown. The John and Thady Gosden trainee won his first three starts, before running third in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. and fifth in the G1 St Leger, both times to Heart's Cry (Jpn) colt Continuous (Jpn). "I think he's going to be better on top of the ground and he still ran an admirable...

Vickers.Bet, founded by former jockey and trainer Ian Vickers, is the new headline sponsor of the 2023 Leger Legends Race, the Leger Legends Organising Committee announced on Tuesday. The event is the only British Charity race for former professional jockeys and is held during the annual St Leger Festival in September. Since its inception, over £1 million has been raised for various charities including the National Horseracing College, Jack Berry House, and the Injured Jockeys Fund. Some of the former jockeys signed on for the 2023 edition include Kieren Fallon,...

Classic winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G1 Irish Derby earlier this summer, is likely to skip the G1 St Leger in September in favour of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 2, Juddmonte's Barry Mahon revealed to ITV on Wednesday. "He's in very good form," Mahon told ITV at York. "He's having a break at Ralph [Beckett]'s and is in good nick. I'd say the next time you'll see him would be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe." A winner of the G3 bet365...

Classic hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the end of June, will be freshened after his unplaced run in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. on Saturday. A winner of the G3 bet365 Classic Trial in his seasonal debut in April, the Juddmonte colourbearer ran third in the G1 Cazoo Derby for trainer Ralph Beckett. The bay set a contested pace in the King George. "I think it just wasn't our day," said Barry Mahon, general manager...

Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), runner-up in the G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom at the beginning of June and fifth after a rough trip in the Irish equivalent on Saturday, has emerged from his latest effort in good order. Trainer Richard Hannon is considering the Sept. 11 G1 St Leger at Doncaster, as well as targets earlier in the summer. Second at Newbury in October, the bay filled the same position there when making his 3-year-old bow on May 14, prior to his runner-up effort in the blue...

The G1 St Leger will now be sponsored by Cazoo. Already announced as the sponsor for the G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 Cazoo Oaks, the UK's leading online car retailer has partnered with Arena Racing Company who own and operate Doncaster. The Cazoo St Leger Festival is scheduled for Sept. 8-11. The deal will also include year-round prominent branding for Cazoo at all 16 ARC racecourses. Alex Chesterman, founder and CEO of Cazoo, said, "We are delighted to partner with ARC on the new Cazoo St Leger Festival, home to...

MGSW Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), who won the G2 Great Voltigeur S. on Aug. 19, has been confirmed for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster on Sept. 12, Racing Post reported on Sunday. Trainer William Muir confirmed the news, with the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, also on Sept. 12, off the table. The La Pyle Partnership, consisting of owner/breeders Roger Devlin and brothers Guy and Hugh Leach, raced Pyledriver to a listed success at two. The colt ran second in the G3 Unibet Classic Trial S....

G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) could clash with three-times G1 Ascot Gold Cup hero Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in next month's G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup. Victorious in the 14-furlong G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, Santiago dropped back to a mile and a half at The Curragh just eight days later and fended off stablemate Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to take the Classic honours. Aidan O'Brien's charge is the ante-post favourite for the G1 St Leger at Doncaster in September, but...

Undefeated 2019 G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who races in the Juddmonte colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah, has returned to the John Gosden yard after being treated for peritonitis, Racing Post reported on Thursday. Also a winner of the G2 Great Voltigeur S. in August, the grey 4-year-old's return to the races will be a bit delayed, but he is likely to appear by early summer. "Logician was successfully treated for peritonitis which can be a serious condition," said Prince Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Lord Teddy Grimthorpe....