Doncaster St Leger meeting..9th-12 sept

Doncaster host the 4 day St Leger meeting this week,starting on Wednesday with 7 races and running through until saturday with the highlight being the forenamed St Leger.

The St Leger it`s self is the oldest "Classic" horse race first run in 1776.Doncaster also has the distinction of holding the first and last race of the Uk flat season every year.

This years St Leger looks a poor renewal and with concerns over Kitewood (the current bookies favourite) about the predicted fast ground and Johnny Murtagh undecided about whether he is making the trip to Doncaster for one of O`Briens 4 declared runners the race seems to be losing some of its sparkle.



On wednesday K Fallon gets the leg up on Barry Irwins Gitano Hernando taking a drop in class and if fit? will take a bit of beating!! Possible foe is the 2 time Grade1 winner in South Africa Kings Gambit,dropping back in trip after being tried over longer last time.
Wednesday Card


On Friday we are going to win the first UK P/A offered up by the tote but will wait until friday before printing the card,find it strange that they are launching this on a Friday? why not wait until the saturday when they could attract a bigger audience?..


St Leger

On paper Kitewood looks the winner but with Godolphins racing manager stating that he is 10lb better on a slower surface than the predicted fast going its a worry? Although he won on good to firm very easily last time out.

Of O`Briens runners Age of Aquarius is the more fancied of his 4 runners but i fancy the longer priced Changingoftheguard to be his biggest hope.
Changingoftheguard was meant to win the Ebor ,Europes most valuable staying handicap at York,punted as defeat was impossible ,but ran out a very unlucky loser going down a head after being given a left a lot to do by J mutagh and looks an eachway bet to nothing imo at around 11/2.St Leger card/betting

Could not agree more re St Leger, its the third leg of the "triple crown" and has lost its status. The last winner was Nijinsky and I felt that Sea The Stars should have "popped in" to collect his crown.

The race is just another race for me, look forward to the PA on Friday, sure Andrew can boost the pool and will be waiting for the Molly PA?

The firmer ground is not ideal for most Leger runners it seems - Doncaster in September is typically a rain-soaked affair. It explains why Schiaparelli might choose the Doncaster Cup ahead of Sunday's Prix Foy.

Whilst John Oxx will not front up with the world champ, I think his stablemate Mourayan is a lively chance to take the prize back to Killabeg anyway.

He's been trialling soundly in the lead-up, and judging by the ground he made up in the Irish Derby, is a very powerful stayer.

My only doubt - unsurprisingly - is his claims are justified only on soft/heavy.

The race almost falls into Changingoftheguard's lap. Should have won the Ebor by at least 3-4 and is as effective on top of the ground.

Greetings to all.

Thank you GT, welcome and thanks for the contribution.

scotia

I fancy Twice Over to give Gitano Hernando a hard time on Wednesday.

Twice over will be favourite,but on the Dee stakes run,it`s a no contest?

hibernia Wrote:

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> Twice over will be favourite,but on the Dee stakes
> run,it`s a no contest?

meant will be "a close contest"

O'Brien leaves St Leger hopes in Melbourne Cup


AIDAN O'BRIEN has left leading Ladbrokes St Leger hopes Age Of Aquarius and Changingoftheguard in the Emirates Melbourne Cup after the first forefeit stage.

Changingoftheguard is William Hill's 12-1joint second favourite for Australia's most famous race alongside Profound Beauty, whose trainer Dermot Weld also has Directa King and Ghimaar still engaged.

Home-trained Vigor has been very well backed since winning the Makybe Diva Stakes last weekend and is now the 10-1 favourite.

Godolphin have taken out Schiaparelli, who had been a 20-1 chance, but left in Crime Scene (33-1), Eastern Anthem (33-1), Kirklees (33-1) and Sugar Ray (50-1)while Sir Michael Stoute could run Warringah (33-1) at Flemington on November 3 and Willie Mullins may send Deutschland (40-1).

Luca Cumani,who has sent out the runner-up in the last two years, has Basaltico (40-1) and Cima de Triomphe (33-1) in the field and that pair are also still in the Caulfield Cup on October 17, as are all bar Eastern Anthem of Godolphin's Melbourne Cup team - Crime Scene and Kirklees are also in the Cox Plate on October 24.

Age Of Aquarius new favourite for St Leger


AGE OF AQUARIUS is the new favourite with several bookmakers for the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncasteron Saturday after usurping Godolphin's Kite Wood at the top of the market on Tuesday.


The Aidan O'Brien-trained son of Galileo was cut to 5-2 favourite (from 11-4) by Paddy Power and Blue Square and is as short at 9-4 favourite (from 5-2) with Boylesports.

Much of the support for Age Of Aquarius comes on the back ofGodolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford voicing concerns about their runner Kite Wood, who Crisford described as a "false Leger favourite" in Tuesday's Racing Post.

The triple Group 3-winner remains the 9-4 favourite with Coral but is out to 3-1 (from 5-2f) with Bet365, Blue Square, William Hill and Totesport for the final British Classic of the season.

Changingoftheguard, second in the Totesport Ebor at York last time out, has also been clipped to 4-1 (from 9-2) for the St Leger by Blue Square to give O'Brien a fourth success in the race.

Murtagh to ride Age Of Aquarius in St Leger

ON the day that Age Of Aquarius usurped long-time antepost favourite Kite Wood at the head of the Ladbrokes St Leger betting, trainer Aidan O'Brien confirmed that Johnny Murtagh would ride the new market-leader for the final British Classic of the year.

The son of Galileo was cut to 5-2 favourite (from 11-4) by Paddy Power and Blue Square and is as short as 9-4 favourite (from 5-2) with Boylesports.


"Johnny is going to travel to Doncaster to ride Age Of Aquarius and Colm O'Donoghue will ride Changingoftheguard in the St Leger," said O'Brien.

By going to Doncaster, Murtagh misses the possible ride aboard Yeats in the Irish Field St Leger but the heavy going at the course at the moment is unlikely to be in the favour of the four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner.

Kite Wood, winner of the Geoffrey Freer Stakes and Bahrain Trophy, is the 9-4 favourite with Coral and Stan James for the St Leger but is out to 3-1 (from 5-2f) with Bet365, Blue Square, William Hill and Totesport for the race.

Changingoftheguard, second in the Totesport Ebor at York last time out, has also been clipped to 4-1 (from 9-2) for the St Leger by Blue Square to give O'Brien a fourth success in the race.

Giano is out so Twice Over now very hard to beat.

As far as other racing on Wed in the UK

At Epsom, both Realisation and Alqaffay should crack the maidens

Over the jumps where Mccoy could be on the mark again with Hintsnallegations, good one for the forum lads and he should also Knock them Dead in the last

good punting, post your UK fancies here!

scotia