ABC GUIDE TO SATURDAY’S LEGER: Daqman checks each runner against the stats, and analyses their form, in a horse-by-horse guide to Saturday’s Doncaster St Leger. Six of those declared are trained by Aidan O’Brien, but John Gosden has two strongly fancied. They’ve won the race four times each.
EARLY NAP AT CATTERICK: DAQMAN’S Tuesday nap runs in the opener at Catterick at 1.45pm.
THE ST LEGER IS CRYSTAL CLEAR
ST LEGER STAKES 3.35 Doncaster (Saturday) ABC GUIDE
A Winner of a Group race
B Ran in Great Voltigeur or Gordon Stakes
C Four or five runs in the campaign
D Rated 109 plus
E Trained John Gosden (4 wins) or Aidan O’Brien (4)
F Won 1m 3f+ but not 1m 5f-6f
ABCDF CRYSTAL OCEAN
Son of Sea The Stars. Third in the Dante and King Edward V11 Stakes (the Ascot Derby) but only five runs in his life – never out of the frame – and improved from 89 rating in May to win the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, powering to 114.
ABCDE DOUGLAS MACARTHUR
Just two wins from 10 starts, seventh in the Epsom Derby, fifth to Capri in the Irish version, then Great Voltigeur fourth in first-time hood.
ABDEF VENICE BEACH
Beat Derby winner Wings Of Eagles in the Chester Vase before down the field in the Derby itself. Third in the Grand Prix de Paris, second – six lengths off Cracksman – in the Great Voltigeur,.
ACDEF CAPRI
Behind Rekindling in the Ballysax and then Douglas MacArthur in the Derrinstown Trial but improved to close sixth in the Epsom Derby, considering he was used up getting to the leaders late. Proved that all wrong by taking the Irish Derby from Cracksman.
ACDEF CORONET
Has raced three times against her supstar stablemate Enable, getting closer every time, 16 lengths in the Epsom Oaks, less than nine in the Curragh version and five in the Yorkshire Oaks, so up a total of 10lb. Longer trip will suit this Ribblesdale winner.
ACDE STRADIVARIUS
Overqualified for stamina in that he won the Queen’s Vase (1m 6f) at Royal Ascot and the Goodwood Cup (2m) but, though St Leger winners usually step up from shorter distances, the trainer has always targeted this race.
ACD DEFOE
Ratings wise, a similar climb to Crystal Ocean’s. Won a handicap off 88 in May and now on 113 after a four-timer which included the Group-3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on the last day. Regarded at home as better than Kingston Hill (2014) who won the Leger for the same stable.
ACD RAHEEN HOUSE
His trainer is also bullish. Only a length – fourth – behind Crystal Ocean in the King Edward V11 Stakes. Won well over further at Newbury when strongly supported in the market.
ACD REKINDLING
Beat Douglas MacArthur in the Ballysax but only fourth in the Dante and trailed in 16th in the Epsom Derby. But longer trips suited when winning the Curragh Cup (1m 6f) and second to Order Of St George in the Irish St leger Trial.
CE THE ANVIL
Chester Vase third to Venice Beach, but 17th then eighth in the two Derbys.
CF COUNT OCTAVE
Only fifth in the Chester Vase but went down by just a neck to Stradivarius in the Queen’s Vase. Not suited by Goodwood on the last day.
EF ABYSSINIAN
Winner of two minor races, this is his trip. Not short of gears but a little bit lazy was the jockey’s verdict on the last day.
EF AIR SUPREMACY
Not seen since breaking his maiden in July when he galloped his rivals into the ground at The Curragh
CHARNOCK CATTERICK EARLY BIRD
1.45 Catterick Charnock Richard has the most experience in the opener and looks the one most likely to be suited by the prevailing soft ground in North Yorkshire.
Whilst it would be a little dangerous to take his last run at face value, it was a good effort in a valuable sales race at York where he went off a 100/1 chance but belied those odds finishing seventh of 19 and wasn’t beaten too far.
He had previously shown some good placed form and he could well benefit from a front running ride today over this speedy six furlongs where horses can be hard to peg back.
The two debutants haven’t attracted any support in the market and those who have run have little to no experience on soft ground.
The Great Dandini ran a much better race at Salisbury last time having not shown much on debut at Goodwood. His Salisbury third was on good to firm ground.
Mont Kinabalu was beaten a long way when fourth at Doncaster and whilst Captain Jameson was third on soft ground on debut at Nottingham he was beaten nearly 17 lengths in the process.
It’s one of those races where Charnock Richard is the obvious starting point given his experience and there are big question marks over his rivals that he gets the nap vote today by default.
5.25 Leicester A disappointing turnout numerically for this class three race which the BETDAQ market has little to choose between three of the five runners.
If you like recent form then you won’t look further than Ornate. The Robert Cowell trained runner is not only officially the top-rated runner in the race but also brings the best recent form too with wins at Nottingham and Newmarket and a good Listed race fourth last time out.
The John Gosden trained Waady has had 108 days off the track but has only beaten six horses home in his last three races. He is a big class dropper but that might not counter his apparent loss of appetite for the game.
Kachy has shown his better form on faster ground and only beat one home in the Group 2 King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood run on soft ground. Last year he was good enough to finish second in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup and if anything like near that form will waltz home here but again the question mark, like Waady, is whether he is anywhere near that.
Ornate looks the safest play.
7.15 Newcastle Maulesden May might well be up for the hat-trick. She comes here on the back of two wins at Ayr and has previously run some good races here at Newcastle.
Biggest danger may come from Wor Lass who was a close second at Musselburgh last time out and remains off the same mark.
DAQMAN’S BETS (to win 20 points):
BET 7.5pts win (nap) CHARNOCK RICHARD (1.45 Catterick)
BET 10.2pts win ORNATE (5.25 Leicester)
BET 4.3pts win MAULESDEN MAY (7.15 Newcastle)
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