Saturday 14th of September sees the final instalment of the 2024 Classic collection as Doncaster Racecourse hosts the historic St Leger Stakes. First run in 1776, the oldest Classic contest held anywhere in the world is rapidly closing in on its 250th anniversary and continues to serve as a late-season highlight on the British calendar.
Following the final declarations, a small but select field of seven runners will line up for the Town Moor stamina test. Aidan O’Brien boasts strength in numbers as he bids to add to City Of Troy’s Epsom Derby victory, but the Ballydoyle maestro won’t have things all his own way in a field containing potential improvers and an intriguing late supplementary entry.
St Leger: Confirmed Field of Runners and Riders
| Number | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deira Mile | Jason Watson | Owen Burrows |
| 2 | Grosvenor Square | Gavin Ryan | Aidan O’Brien |
| 3 | Illinois | Wayne Lordan | Aidan O’Brien |
| 4 | Jan Brueghel | Sean Levey | Aidan O’Brien |
| 5 | Sunway | Christophe Soumillon | David Menuisier |
| 6 | Wild Waves | Daniel Tudhope | Andrew Balding |
| 7 | You Got To Me | Hector Crouch | Ralph Beckett |
Highlights
County Tipperary is invariably the first port of call when assessing any Classic contest. True to form, three of the seven-runner field carry the hopes of the Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore team.
Illinois is the runner deemed most likely to prevail by the betting public and looks tailor-made for this test. By the late, great Galileo and a half-brother to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Danedream, his pedigree page is as purple as the Ballydoyle silks. This grand stamp of a horse has taken a little time to hit top form at the track but, significantly, recorded his only win of the season over 1m6f in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot when forging clear in the manner of a dour stayer.
Stablemate Jan Brueghel stands out as the only unbeaten colt in the field; three starts yielding three wins, including two in Group 3 company. Appearing to be far from an easy ride, he took plenty of motivating to get on top by a neck in the Dubai International Stakes and Gordon Stakes but seems likely to enjoy this first crack at a staying trip and remains open to improvement.
Grosvenor Square completes the Ballydoyle trio, having rapidly emerged as a stayer to reckon with. Failing to get involved over 1m4f in the Chester Vase or Irish Derby, the step up to 1m6f appears to have worked the oracle. Only run down close home by Melbourne Cup-bound Tower Of London in the Group 2 Curragh Cup, he built on that effort to lead the field a merry dance when coming home 20 lengths clear in the Irish St Leger Trial.
Ralph Beckett was the last trainer to claim this prize with a filly when saddling Simple Verse to success in 2015 and bids to repeat the feat with You Got To Me. A late supplementary entry to the field (at a cost of £50,000 to connections), the daughter of Nathaniel already has a Classic success on her CV following her impressive win in the Irish Oaks. She steps into the unknown regarding the trip but receives weight from all her rivals and looks to have a solid chance.
David Menuisier’s Sunway rocketed towards the head of the juvenile division when bagging the Group 1 Criterium International last season. As such, a record of five defeats in as many starts this season is slightly disappointing. On a more positive note, he ran a cracker in the Irish Derby, when staying on best of all for second, and backed that up with a fourth-place effort against his elders in the King George. Any improvement for the additional distance would bring him into contention.
Deira Mile is among the outsiders but also brings solid form to the table, most notably his staying on fourth in the Derby when only one and a half lengths behind Irish Derby champ Los Angeles. That effort and his subsequent second in a Listed event at Windsor suggest this trip may suit him well.
Andrew Balding’s Wild Waves rounds out the field but looks up against it on all known form. Sitting on a mark of 95, he has 21 pounds to find with the top-rated Illinois on his first step outside of handicapping company. However, he is the only course and distance winner in the field, so shouldn’t be found wanting in the stamina department.
