AIDAN O’BRIEN is dominating the market for the St Leger – but one horse in particular looks likely to end his stranglehold on the race.
The season’s final Classic will be run over 1m6f at Doncaster on September 14 and more than half the entries are trained by the Ballydoyle boss.
His Irish Derby winner Los Angeles currently heads the market at 3-1 with Queen’s Vase winner and last weekend’s Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Illinois hot on his heels at 4-1.
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Jan Brueghel, who is two-from-two over 1m2f and looks perfectly suited to a step up to 1m6f, is the 6-1 third-favourite.
O’Brien has also entered the likes of The Euphrates, Chantilly, Highbury and Grosvenor Square in his quest for a second straight St Leger after Continuous’ victory last year.
But it’s an 8-1 chance who looks the type to really serve it up to the all-conquering Irish handler.
David Menuisier’s Sunway looked, to me, to be screaming out for an entry after his hugely encouraging second to Los Angeles in the Irish Derby.
Los Angeles went into that race after finishing third in the Epsom feature behind what we already know to be a potential superstar in City Of Troy.
He reversed form with Epsom runner-up Ambiente Friendly – now a questionable stayer over the mile-and-a-half – en route to a three-quarter length win over Sunway.
And it’s he – a €300,000 purchase in August 2002 – who looks just the type to prosper in a St Leger.
Menuisier has always held this horse in high regard and, suddenly, his disappointing seventh in the Prix Du Jockey Club at the start of June doesn’t look so bad at all.
Winner Look De Vega has now hardened into 3-1 favourite for the Arc, while third that day Sosie was a good winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris last weekend.
Even Ghostwriter, who was fourth behind Look De Vega, arguably would have finished closer to City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse had he not cut him up slightly with a few yards to go.
While Sunway doesn’t boast a particularly flashy sire in the shape of Galiway, he has produced some fine types including 2021 Qipco Champion Stakes winner Seailway, who won on good-to-soft that October at Ascot.
Oh, and then there’s former Triumph Hurdle winner and last year’s Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban.
It looked to my eye like Sunway only really, really hit full stride in the final few yards of the Irish Derby.
While Los Angeles couldn’t wait for the line to come.
An extra two furlongs could be just what he needs.
Betfred St Leger odds via Coral
3-1 Los Angeles
4-1 Illinois
6-1 Jan Brueghel
8-1 Ancient Wisdom, Highbury, Sunway
12-1 Deira Mile
20-1 Royal Supremacy
25-1 Mutaawid, Port Fairy, Vanish
33-1 Bar
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