William Hill St Leger
Group 1, Doncaster 15:35
£700,000 added,
3yo only,
1m 6f 115y, Class 1   
Saturday 16th September 2017

1 Capri 3/1F
2 Crystal Ocean 5/1
3 Stradivarius 9/2
11 ran Distances: ½l, shd, 1½l
Time: 3m 4.04s (slow by 1.04s)

Capri became the first horse since Triple Crown hero Nijinsky in 1970 to win both the Irish Derby and the St Leger, in his first race since his success at the Curragh 77 days earlier.

Capri
© Caroline Norris
Capri

The Anvil soon established a big lead from his three Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemates, led by Douglas MacArthur with Venice Beach and Capri just behind. Then there was a gap to John Gosden's duo of Stradivarius and Coronet.

The Anvil was a spent force tuning for home into the long straight, where Douglas Macarthur briefly took over.

Stradivarius looked a real threat on the far rail, but Capri (3-1 favourite) was already close to the pace and set sail for home inside the final quarter-mile.

Crystal Ocean made a strong run from the rear, but Capri held the aces to score by half a length and give O'Brien a fifth win in the race. Stradivarius was just a short-head away in third.

Winning jockey Ryan Moore said: "He's a very good horse, he's an Irish Derby winner and a Group Two-winning two-year-old as well. He's run in a lot of good races this year, he's a very good horse and very honest.

"When Crystal Ocean came to him, he dug in. He's done very little wrong in his career and has progressed from race to race.

"It was a very good performance in a very good St Leger."

On winning the race for the first time, he told ITV Racing: "It means you have to win it again, really."

Sir Michael Stoute felt Crystal Ocean just found his stamina running out. 

He said: "I'd prefer to have won it, but he ran a great race, we're thrilled with him. 

"I thought he was going to win, but we won't run him beyond a mile and a half again. It was always a danger that he was a mile-and-a-half horse and that's his trip. 

"Jim (Crowley) gave him a lovely ride and I always felt he might win. Jim reported he was always pretty confident, but he was just outstayed." 

Gosden said of his two runners: "He (Stradivarius) has run a cracker. It was a relentless pace, very strong and there was no hiding place. 

"Coronet has run a lovely race (fifth) and she will go to Champions Day for the Fillies & Mares race

"This fellow (Stradivarius) got isolated, he was coming back in the last 50 yards but they were racing away from him and he wasn't racing against anything. 

"If he comes out of it well he will go to Ascot for the Stayers' race (the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup)."

Boylesports

Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes
£700,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 6f 115y, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good to Soft

Pos Dr D Horse SP Jockey Weight Trainer Age
1st (9) Capri (IRE) 3/1f R L Moore
9-1
A P O'Brien 3
2nd (1) ½ Crystal Ocean 5/1 Jim Crowley
9-1
Sir Michael Stoute 3
3rd (6) s.h Stradivarius (IRE) 9/2 James Doyle
9-1
J H M Gosden 3
4th (10) Rekindling 10/1 D O'Brien
9-1
Joseph P O'Brien 3
5th (7) Coronet 8/1 L Dettori
8-12
J H M Gosden 3
6th (8) Count Octave 20/1 Oisin Murphy
9-1
A M Balding 3
7th (11) 11 Raheen House (IRE) 14/1 A Kirby
9-1
B J Meehan 3
8th (3) 9 Venice Beach (IRE) 12/1 J A Heffernan
9-1
A P O'Brien 3
9th (5) Douglas Macarthur (IRE) 33/1 E J McNamara
9-1
A P O'Brien 3
10th (2) Defoe (IRE) 6/1 Andrea Atzeni
9-1
R Varian 3
11th (4) 31 The Anvil (IRE) 66/1 M C Hussey
9-1
A P O'Brien 3

ST LEGER ROLL OF HONOUR (1946-2014)
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP Ran

2016 HARBOUR LAW Mrs LJ Mongan George Baker Mrs Jackie Cornwell 22/1 8
2015 SIMPLE VERSE Ralph Beckett Andrea Atzeni QRL/Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani/M Al Kubaisi 8/1 7
2014 KINGSTON HILL Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni Paul Smith 9/4F 12

2013 LEADING LIGHT Aidan O’Brien Joseph O’Brien Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 7/2F 11
2012 ENCKE Mahmood Al Zarooni Mickael Barzalona Godolphin 25/1 9
2011 MASKED MARVEL John Gosden William Buick Bjorn Nielsen 15/2 9
2010 ARCTIC COSMOS John Gosden William Buick Rachel Hood & Robin Geffen 12/1 10
2009 MASTERY Saeed bin Suroor Ted Durcan Godolphin 14/1 8
2008 CONDUIT Sir Michael Stoute Frankie Dettori Ballymacoll Stud 8/1 14
2007 LUCARNO John Gosden Jimmy Fortune George Strawbridge 7/2 10
2006** SIXTIES ICON Jeremy Noseda Frankie Dettori Susan Roy 11/8F 11
2005 SCORPION Aidan O’Brien IRE Frankie Dettori Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 10/11F 6
2004 RULE OF LAW Saeed bin Suroor Kerrin McEvoy Godolphin 3/1JF 9
2003 BRIAN BORU Aidan O’Brien IRE Jamie Spencer Sue Magnier 5/4F 12
2002 BOLLIN ERIC Tim Easterby Kevin Darley Sir Neil & Lady Westbrook 7/1 8
2001 MILAN Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 13/8F 10
2000 MILLENARY John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 11/4F 11
1999 MUTAFAWEQ Saeed bin Suroor Richard Hills Godolphin 11/2 9
1998 NEDAWI Saeed bin Suroor John Reid Godolphin 5/2F 9
1997 SILVER PATRIARCH John Dunlop Pat Eddery Peter Winfield 5/4F 10
1996 SHANTOU John Gosden Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 8/1 11
1995 CLASSIC CLICHE Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 100/30F 10
1994 MOONAX Barry Hills Pat Eddery Sheikh Mohammed 40/1 8
1993 BOB'S RETURN Mark Tompkins Philip Robinson Jackie Smith 3/1F 9
1992 USER FRIENDLY Clive Brittain George Duffield Bill Gredley 7/4F 7
1991 TOULON Andre Fabre FR Pat Eddery Khalid Abdullah 5/2F 10
1990 SNURGE Paul Cole Richard Quinn Martyn Arbib 7/2 8
1989* MICHELOZZO Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Charles St George 6/4F 8
1988 MINSTER SON Neil Graham Willie Carson Lady Beaverbrook 15/2 6
1987 REFERENCE POINT Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Louis Freedman 4/11F 7
1986 MOON MADNESS John Dunlop Pat Eddery Duchess of Norfolk 9/2 8
1985 OH SO SHARP Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Sheikh Mohammed 8/11F 6
1984 COMMANCHE RUN Luca Cumani Lester Piggott Ivan Allan 7/4F 11
1983 SUN PRINCESS Dick Hern Willie Carson Sir Michael Sobell 11/8F 10
1982 TOUCHING WOOD Tom Jones Paul Cook Maktoum Al Maktoum 7/1 15
1981 CUT ABOVE Dick Hern Joe Mercer Sir John Astor 28/1 7
1980 LIGHT CAVALRY Henry Cecil Joe Mercer Jim Joel 3/1 7
1979 SON OF LOVE Robert Collet FR Alain Lequeux A Rolland 20/1 17
1978 JULIO MARINER Clive Brittain Edward Hide Marcos Lemos 28/1 14
1977 DUNFERMLINE Dick Hern Willie Carson The Queen 10/1 13
1976 CROW Angel Penna FR Yves Saint-Martin Daniel Wildenstein 6/1CF 15
1975 BRUNI Ryan Price Tony Murray Charles St George 9/1 12
1974 BUSTINO Dick Hern Joe Mercer Lady Beaverbrook 11/10F 10
1973 PELEID Bill Elsey Frankie Durr Bill Behrens 28/1 13
1972 BOUCHER Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Ogden Phipps 3/1 7
1971 ATHENS WOOD Tom Jones Lester Piggott Mrs John Rogerson 5/2 8
1970 NIJINSKY Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 2/7F 9
1969 INTERMEZZO Harry Wragg Ron Hutchinson Gerry Oldham 7/1 11
1968 RIBERO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 100/30 8
1967 RIBOCCO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 7/2 9
1966 SODIUM George Todd Frankie Durr R J Sigita 7/1 9
1965 PROVOKE Dick Hern Joe Mercer John Astor 28/1 11
1964 INDIANA Jack Watts Jimmy Lindley Charles Engelhard 100/7 15
1963 RAGUSA Paddy Prendergast IRE Garnet Bougoure Jim Mullion 2/5F 7
1962 HETHERSETT Dick Hern Harry Carr Major Lionel Holliday 100/8 15
1961 AURELIUS Noel Murless Lester Piggott Mrs V Lilley 9/2 13
1960 ST PADDY Noel Murless Lester Piggott Sir Victor Sassoon 4/6F 9
1959 CANTELO Charles Elsey Edward Hide William Hill 100/7 11
1958 ALCIDE Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Sir Humphrey de Trafford 4/9F 8
1957 BALLYMOSS Vincent O’Brien IRE T P Burns Jock McShain 8/1 16
1956 CAMBREMER George Bridgland FR Freddie Palmer R B Strassburger 8/1 13
1955 MELD Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Lady Zia Wernher 10/11F 8
1954 NEVER SAY DIE Joe Lawson Charlie Smirke Robert Sterling Clark 100/30 16
1953 PREMONITION Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Eph Smith W P Wyatt 10/1 11
1952 TULYAR Marcus Marsh Charlie Smirke H H Aga Khan III 10/11F 12
1951 TALMA II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 7/1 18
1950 SCRATCH II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 9/2 15
1949 RIDGE WOOD Noel Murless Michael Beary G R H Smith 100/7 16
1948 BLACK TARQUIN Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Edgar Britt W Woodward 15/2 14
1947 SAYAJIRAO Fred Armstrong Edgar Britt Maharaja Of Baroda 9/2 11
1946 AIRBOURNE Dick Perryman Tommy Lowrey Jock Ferguson 3/1 11
* Run at Ayr
** Run at York

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