The Lowdown: Betfred St Leger

It's the Leger Lowdown, our final run-through of Classic contenders for the season and one in which the late Galileo (Ire) has three chances to notch his 101st Group/Grade 1 winner so soon after Content (Ire) brought up his century in the Yorkshire Oaks. He is the sire of the first three favourites in the betting at the time of writing, and paternal grandsire of the next two. 

It was the St Leger which provided Galileo with his first British Classic winner, Sixties Icon (GB), and we should have guessed then what we know now: that Galileo was going to be a great stallion. From his first crop he had the first three home in the St Leger of 2006. Don't bet against history repeating itself on Saturday with these members of his penultimate crop.

DEIRA MILE (Ire)
Camelot (GB)—Fastnet Mist (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus})

Bred by Churchtown House Stud, he was bought as a yearling at Tattersalls for 47,000gns by Federico Barberini and owner Ahmad Al Shaikh. A novice winner back in April, he finished fourth in the Derby, seven lengths adrift of City Of Troy, and has run just once since then when a close second in the Listed August Stakes at Windsor. 

By the 2012 St Leger runner-up Camelot, and the first winner from four runners for his Listed-placed dam, who is in turn out of a half-sister to G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Wannabe Grand (Ire) (Danehill), G3 Ballycorus S. scorer Wannabe Better (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) and the Listed winners Wannabe Posh (Ire) (Grand Lodge) and Pirateer (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

GROSVENOR SQUARE (IRE)
Galileo (Ire)—Wadyhatta (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire})

Bred by Lynch Bages Ltd, he was beaten just once in three starts as a juvenile, when his wins included the G3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown. Third in the G3 Chester Vase and then down the field when seventh in the Irish Derby, he has appreciated the step up to this trip and was just run down by stable-mate Tower Of London (Ire) in the G2 Curragh Cup before most recently running out the 20-length winner of the G3 Irish St Leger Trial.

He is the fourth winner from as many runners out of his winning dam, a half-sister to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club third Motamarris (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) and the multiple Listed-placed dam of multiple Group 3 winner Tantheem (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). His siblings include the 2020 Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), who also won the G2 Queen's Vase, and the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Prix Vermeille third La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

ILLINOIS (Ire)
Galileo (Ire)—Danedrop (Ire) (Danehill)

This Coolmore-bred half-brother to the Arc and King George winner Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) is  still lightly raced but has been a model of consistency. His career highlight to date is his victory in the G2 Queen's Vase, which was followed up by second-place finishes in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G2 Great Voltigeur when beaten a neck by his stable-mate Los Angeles (Ire), who heads to the Irish Champion Stakes. 

His full-brothers Venice Beach (Ire) and Broadway (Ire) are both Group 3 winners.

JAN BRUEGHEL (Ire)
Galileo (Ire)—Devoted To You (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire})

Only appeared on the scene this May but his has been a faultless progression with three wins, starting in a Curragh maiden and followed by the G3 Dubai International Stakes and the G3 Gordon Stakes, the latter over 1m4f. It wouldn't be a big surprise to see him step forward again. 

Jan Brueghel was bred by Barronstown Stud, as was his dam, who won a Galway maiden and was second in the G2 Debutante Stakes among other black-type placings. The most notable of her offspring is this colt's full-brother, the 2019 Irish Derby winner Sovereign (Ire). Another brother, Dawn Rising (Ire), won last year's Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot.

SUNWAY (FR)
Galiway (GB)–Kensea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr})

Retained at €300,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale by his breeder Guy Pariente, he won last year's G1 Criterium International and is yet to add to his tally in five starts this season. He has however posted some decent efforts in defeat, notably when finishing three-quarters of a length behind Los Angeles to take second in the Irish Derby.  Super-sub Christophe Soumillon has been booked to replace Oisin Murphy, who is heading to Canada instead.

Sunway is the fourth winner from as many runners out of his Listed-winning dam, whose previous matings with Galiway also produced the G1 Champion Stakes and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Sealiway (Fr).

WILD WAVES (Ire)
Crystal Ocean (GB)—Guenea (GB) (Sinndar {Ire})

An interesting contender as the first runner in a Classic for 2019 joint-Horse of the Year Crystal Ocean. Bred by the Guenea Partnership, the pinhooking team of Matt Houldsworth and the Gleeson brothers of Aughamore Stud bought him as a foal for 46,000gns and made a healthy return when selling him at Tattersalls October Book 1 for 135,000gns to his trainer Andrew Balding. After two reasonable efforts at two, Wild Waves won on his handicap debut over 1m4f at Kempton and backed that up with a win over the Leger course and distance in June. Most recently he was just two and a half lengths behind Table Talk in the competitive Melrose Handicap at York. 

He may not be quite up to this Classic test but he is certainly a staying prospect to keep an eye on next year. His breeding offers plenty of encouragement in this regard as he hails from the same female line as the current top-rated horse in Europe, Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), whose third dam Guadalupe (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) is the granddam of Wild Waves. With the Derby winners Sea The Stars (Ire) and Sinndar (Ire) as his grandsires, there's a lot to like about his pedigree.

YOU GOT TO ME (GB)
Nathaniel (Ire)–Brushing (GB) (Medicean {GB})

Bred by Dullingham Park Stud and Sarabex, she first sold for 62,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and was later bought by Alex Elliott for 200,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1.

The winner of the Lingfield Oaks Trial before running fourth at Epsom in the Oaks, she then beat Content (Ire) to won the Irish Oaks before finishing second to that same filly in the Yorkshire Oaks. She was supplemented for this race by Ralph Beckett, who won the St Leger in 2015 with the filly Simple Verse. 

You Got To Me's Listed-winning dam hails from the family of the  GII All American Derby winner Evolving Tactics (Ire) (Machiavellian) and the G3 C. L. Weld Park Stakes winner Token Gesture (Ire) (Alzao) – who is in turn the dam of the GI Canadian International hero Relaxed Gesture (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}).

Victory here would provide a rare feat in the oldest Classic for her co-breeder Mark Tompkins, who trained the 1993 winner Bob's Return (Ire).