A left-field Leger possible, more Beckett brilliance and a bleak few days for Godolphin
There was a great four days of racing at York and lots to digest – so what did we learn from the last seven days?
Late potential Leger candidate emerges
Despite four days of brilliant action at York’s Ebor meeting, the lack of a standout St Leger candidate remains.
The ante-post betting is headed by 7-2 joint-favourites Continuous and Gregory, who finished first and third in the Great Voltigeur, with the intended royal runner Desert Hero available at 11-2 and Arrest a general 8-1 chance.
Savethelastdance was a beaten favourite when third in the Yorkshire Oaks, but a Classic bid on Town Moor was not ruled out. If it appears her preferred soft ground looks likely, she could well head to Doncaster.
There was a late entry into the St Leger market, however, and it came after the Melrose Handicap on Saturday.
Middle Earth: won the Melrose Handicap at York
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Middle Earth recorded the joint-highest winning Racing Post Rating in the last ten runnings of the race with a length and three-quarters success under Oisin Murphy, earning quotes of 14-1.
While improvement will clearly be needed if he were to step up to top-level company, this was a notable performance in traditionally one of the strongest three-year-old handicaps around.
Qatar Racing would have to supplement Middle Earth for £50,000, and a top-three finish would be needed to ensure he makes a profit on that outlay. In a Leger that looks quite open, however, it is certainly one to ponder.
Jack Haynes
Beckett not one to underestimate on the big days
When names are thrown around regarding the best trainers in racing, there is one standout who doesn't seem to get the same level of recognition as others – Ralph Beckett.
He showed once again just how capable he is when it comes to the big days with a treble in just over an hour on Saturday, and they weren't just run-of-the-mill handicaps either.
The downpour at Goodwood may have been a blessing for Angel Bleu, but he was still good enough to land the Celebration Mile.
Kinross then made it back-to-back wins in the City of York Stakes under a certain Frankie Dettori, who was likely having his final rides on the Knavesmire. And Beckett didn't have to wait long for the hat-trick as Lezoo got up late in the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket.
Kinross: starred again for trainer Ralph Beckett
A pair of Group 2s and a Listed race across three different tracks for owner Marc Chan is no mean feat. It shows not just what a good trainer Beckett is, but also how methodical he must be with placing his horses.
That last point is evidenced by the fact he is operating at a 34 per cent strike-rate in the last two weeks despite having lots of runners (58) all over Britain – he's won at 27 of the 36 courses he's had runners at this year.
Beckett has also improved his prize-money total year on year since 2019, with over £3 million already banked for the first time in his career this year. He is upwardly mobile and unquestionably among the top trainers around.
Harry Wilson
Godolphin in desperate need of a new star
What do this year’s Derby meeting, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and the Ebor meeting have in common? The answer is they all passed without a Godolphin winner.
It has been a chastening few months for the major operation and they had just the four runners on the Knavesmire last week. Unfortunately, the selective approach didn’t reap any rewards.
Castle Way is now as big as 25-1 (from 8-1) for the St Leger after his three-and-three-quarter-length Great Voltigeur second, while Star Of Mystery saw her reputation dented when only sixth in Thursday’s Lowther Stakes following defeat at 1-6 at Newmarket's July meeting.
The retirements of Native Trail, Modern Games, Hurricane Lane and Adayar have left a huge hole in Godolphin’s pool of Group 1 horses and, at this stage, the likes of Castle Way and Star Of Mystery don’t look up to the top level.
In recent years, Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Weekend has provided the operation with the chance to flex its muscles in the juvenile division, but you won’t find a Godolphin horse at a single-figure price in ante-post markets for the Fillies’ Mile or Dewhurst this time, whereas in Ylang Ylang and Henry Longfellow, longstanding rivals Coolmore have the favourite for both contests.
If Godolphin can't find a juvenile star between now and the end of the season then expect similarly low representation in next year’s Classics.
Joe Eccles
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