St Leger

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Ladbrokes St Leger Tops Mourayan’s Agenda
13/08/09

Irish trainer John Oxx revealed today that the £500,000 Group One Ladbrokes St Leger, staged over an extended mile and three-quarters at Doncaster on Saturday, September 12, remains the prime objective for Irish Derby third Mourayan.

The Aga Khan-owned Alhaarth colt chased home Fame And Glory in the Curragh Group One on June 28, and is set to have his final start before the world’s oldest Classic at Leopardstown tomorrow (Thursday) in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes.

Oxx revealed today: “The plan is to go to Doncaster for the Ladbrokes St Leger - that is his major objective.

“You would think the distance of the race is made for him. He is bred for it and the way he races, particularly looking at the way he ran in the Irish Derby, you would expect him to like it. For that reason, it is the obvious race for him.”

Mourayan, a half-brother to this season’s Group Two Goodwood Cup runner-up Mourilyan.

His trainer said: “He will run on Thursday in the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown, if the ground is good enough.

“He is in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York next Tuesday as well, but if the ground comes up to his liking on Thursday, we’ll let him run at Leopardstown.

“If all goes well after that, the plan is to then run him at Doncaster. He does like some ease in the ground so that will be a factor at the time. He doesn’t like it good to firm, he likes it on the slow side of good.”

Come September, Oxx is hoping to become the first Irish trainer not based at Ballydoyle to win the Ladbrokes St Leger since Paddy Prendergast saddled Ragusa in 1963. Since then, Ballydoyle incumbents Vincent O’Brien (1970 Nijinsky, 1972 Boucher) and Aidan O’Brien (2001 Milan, 2003 Brian Boru and 2005 Scorpion) are the only Irish handlers to have carried off the Classic.

Oxx commented: “It’s surprising but it’s a hard race to win. It’s a tough, gruelling race and it takes a good horse with toughness and stamina to do it - they’re hard to come by.”

The Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes, staged at York next week, Tuesday, August 18, has always been an excellent pointer to the Ladbrokes St Leger and the mile and a half contest is likely to provide informative clues regarding the season’s final Classic at Doncaster.

In all, 16 of the 20 entries for the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur also hold an engagement in the season’s final Classic.

Conduit provided Sir Michael Stoute with a long overdue first victory in the Ladbrokes St Leger last year when storming to an impressive triumph and the trainer looks to have a strong hand again with the sponsor’s current 3/1 favourite Harbinger.

The Dansili colt emulated Conduit when landing the Group Three Betfair Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on July 28, albeit in more impressive fashion than his year older stablemate, and may now head to York before a tilt at the world’s oldest Classic.

Aidan O’Brien is chasing a fourth Ladbrokes St Leger win and the Master of Ballydoyle is responsible for 14 Ladbrokes St Leger entries including 5/1 joint second favourite Age Of Aquarius, runner-up to Cavalryman in the Group One Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris on July 14.

The colt is among eight O’Brien-trained horses entered at York as well as Doncaster. Among those is Irish Derby runner-up Golden Sword, the progressive Ulster Derby Handicap winner Changingoftheguard and Group Three Queen’s Vase runner-up Yankee Doodle.

Henry Cecil’s Warren Place stable is home to Father Time, the 6/1 third-favourite with Ladbrokes for the St Leger. The Khalid Abdulla-owned colt is on target for the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur as he progresses towards Doncaster. He was the four-length winner of the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and will be bidding to give the trainer his first St Leger success since Michelozzo in 1989 and his fifth in total.

Cecil has also engaged Native Ruler in the Ladbrokes St Leger but another serious contender from his yard could be another Khalid Abdulla-owned colt Manifest. The half-brother to Elmaamul and Oaks heroine Reams Of Verse would have to be supplemented for the Town Moor showpiece but Cecil indicated this week that such a move could be on the cards if the impressive Newmarket maiden winner continues to progress.

Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor are also seeking a fifth victory and have eight candidates for Ladbrokes St Leger glory this year. Two of those, Kite Wood and Mastery, are also entered for the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur.

Kite Wood enhanced his Classic credentials when winning the Group Three Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket on July 9, while Mastery was third in the Grand Prix de Paris last time.

Barry Hills has Above Average engaged in the Ladbrokes St Leger and the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur. The colt won the Group Three Classic Trial at Sandown in April and was third to Kite Wood in the Bahrain Trophy. Hills won the St Leger in 1994 with Moonax.

Lucarno gave trainer John Gosden a Ladbrokes St Leger triumph two years ago. The Newmarket handler could bid for another victory with King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes fourth Alwaary, who also has a Great Voltigeur entry.

The Ladbrokes St Leger, first staged in 1776, is the highlight of the historic five-day Ladbrokes St Leger Festival at Doncaster, which begins on Wednesday, September 9 and runs through to Saturday, September 12.