Saturday preview

   It would be brave to call the winner of Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger and at this stage difficult to even decide what will start favourite for a wide-open renewal of the Doncaster Classic. There is very little separating the obvious trio of Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), while even Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) could yet threaten for pole position in the market given his Royal status. Each one has yet to prove themselves at this...

Saturday's closing card of the Qatar Goodwood Festival sees the focus fall on one of Britain's most prestigious handicaps in the Stewards' Cup, with just the one pattern race being the G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry S. George Strawbridge's Free Wind (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who met with a reversal for the first time in two years when fifth in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot, lost nothing in defeat there when fifth from a compromising position on too-fast ground. The G2 Park Hill S., G2 Lancashire Oaks and G2 Middleton...

For many, there was an element of surprise in the failure of Chester sensation Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to conquer her Oaks rivals and Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks offers the opportunity for the Ballydoyle starlet to put herself back in the spotlight. Streaking up the short Roodeye straight to wrap up a 22-length annihilation of the Listed Cheshire Oaks on a dour day at the May Festival, the daughter of Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) appeared lost in the more familiar summer sun as she floundered at Epsom three...

There is plenty to play for in Saturday's 142nd running of the $600,000 GI Alabama S. at Saratoga, where Nest (Curlin) and Secret Oath (Arrogate) face one another for the third time head-to-head--each with one victory to their credit--with divisional supremacy awaiting the winner. An 8 1/4-length tour-de-force tally in Keeneland's GI Central Bank Ashland S. accorded Nest the role of favoritism in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, but she was no match for the somewhat forgotten Secret Oath, dropping a two-length decision. A meritorious second to stablemate Mo Donegal...

The emphasis is on speed on Saturday, with a quartet of Europe's six pattern races being sprints and only one taking place beyond a mile. Glinting in the midst of them is the jewel that is the first of the Curragh's 2022 Classics, the €500,000 G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas. With a distinct form edge, it seems on paper to be simply be a case of going through the motions for Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) with Godolphin's Guineas treble hanging tantalisingly within reach. However, this is a tough...