Camelot heads 16 going forward for world's oldest classic
29 Aug 2012 | Doncaster Racecourse A total of 16 horses remain in the Group One Ladbrokes St Leger, which has record prize money of £550,000, at Doncaster on Saturday, September 15, the fourth and final day of the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival.
The acceptors for the world's oldest Classic, after yesterday's scratchings deadline, are headed by the exciting and unbeaten Camelot, who seeks to become the first Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky in 1970 after victories in the two other British Classics open to colts, the mile QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and the 12-furlong Investec Derby at Epsom Downs in June.
The son of Montjeu also captured another Classic, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh, on his latest outing on June 30. He is the hot 1/3 market leader with race sponsor Ladbrokes for the final British Classic of the year which is run over one mile, six furlongs and 132 yards.
Camelot has already won a Group One race at Doncaster, having been the very impressive winner of the Racing Post Trophy in October.
Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien, responsible for Camelot, has five other three-year-olds going forward at this stage including Group One Grand Prix de Paris winner Imperial Monarch and impressive maiden scorer Chamonix. Other possible starters for the Ballydoyle handler, going for his fourth Ladbrokes St Leger success, are Group Two-winning juvenile David Livingston, Father Of Science and Offer.
John Gosden is chasing his third consecutive Ladbrokes St Leger after the victories of Arctic Cosmos in 2010 and Masked Marvel in a track record time last season and fifth in all.
The Newmarket handler is responsible for five entries including Group One Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens, Group Three Bahrain Trophy scorer Shantaram, last week's Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes victor Thought Worthy and the talented Michelangelo as well as Dartford.
Thought Worthy, owned by George Strawbridge, is attempting to follow in the footsteps of his full-brother Lucarno, who won the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and then the Ladbrokes St Leger for the same connections in 2007.
The son of Dynaformer, a 14/1 chance with Ladbrokes, captured the Listed Fairway Stakes at Newmarket in May before finishing fourth in the Investec Derby and third in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.
James Wigan, racing manager to Strawbridge, said: "I would say Thought Worthy is a likely runner in the Ladbrokes St Leger. He put in a very gutsy performance in the Great Voltigeur Stakes last week when he really put his head down and tried.
"Dynaformers have a habit of improving. Thought Worthy is a lovely looking individual and physically he has come on significantly since his run at Royal Ascot.
"His brother Lucarno won the St Leger and Thought Worthy really tries and gallops so you never know."
David Lanigan could saddle his first Ladbrokes St Leger runner in Main Sequence, who finished the five-length second to Camelot in the Investec Derby and filled the same spot when a neck behind Thought Worthy last week.
Thomas Chippendale, winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, goes forward for Sir Henry Cecil and owner Sir Robert Ogden, while Godolphin has left in the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Encke,who came third to Thought Worthy last week.
Guarantee jumped into the Ladbrokes St Leger picture for trainer William Haggas and the Authorized syndicate of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing with an impressive victory in the Melrose Handicap at York on Saturday. The lightly-raced Authorized colt has won on three of his four starts.
Another progressive colt Ursa Major, trained by Tommy Carmody in Ireland and owned by the Stobart Group's chief executive Andrew Tinkler, comes into the Ladbrokes St Leger reckoning after staying on strongly to win the Group Three Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh on Saturday in good style. The son of Galileo has been successful on his last three starts.
The next confirmation stage for the Ladbrokes St Leger is on Monday, September 10, when there is also a £45,000 supplementary entry stage.
There are 51 two-year-olds going forward for the £75,000 Group Two One Call Insurance Champagne Stakes including dual Group Two scorer Olympic Glory, while 24 remain in the £100,000 Group Two OLBG Park Stakes, with both seven furlong races also on Saturday, September 15.
The 2012 Ladbrokes St Leger Festival at Doncaster starts on Wednesday, September 12 and continues through to Saturday, September 15.
THE LADBROKES ST LEGER
Group 1, £550,000, Group 1 The Ladbrokes St Leger (2850m)
Doncaster, Saturday, September 15, 2012. For three-year-olds only, entire colts and fillies.
Form Horse Owner Trainer
11-111 CAMELOT Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
61 CHAMONIX (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
(5)-(3)(2)(5)(3)(0)5 DARTFORD (USA) Bjorn Nielsen John Gosden
1431-543 DAVID LIVINGSTON (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
21-123 ENCKE (USA) Godolphin Mahmood Al Zarooni
514 FATHER OF SCIENCE (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
5-1111 GREAT HEAVENS Lady Rothschild John Gosden
2111 GUARANTEE Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-Authorized William Haggas
1-101 IMPERIAL MONARCH (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
11-1(1)242 MAIN SEQUENCE (USA) Niarchos Family David Lanigan
3113 MICHELANGELO Bjorn Nielsen John Gosden
21530 OFFER (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
2-2(2)11 SHANTARAM Lady Bamford John Gosden
01-5115 THOMAS CHIPPENDALE (IRE) Sir Robert Ogden Sir Henry Cecil
1-21431 THOUGHT WORTHY (USA) George Strawbridge John Gosden
(2)(1)2111 URSA MAJOR (IRE) Andrew Tinkler Tommy Carmody IRE
16 entries remain after August 28 scratchings deadline