England: Continuous romps in St. Leger, giving O'Brien 7th win
Trainer Aidan O'Brien won his seventh edition of the Group 1 St. Leger on Saturday at Doncaster when Continuous unfurled an inside rally and kicked clear to win the 14 1/2-furlong classic in dominant fashion.
Denmark, the winner's stablemate, jumped out to the early lead in the with Gregory and Chesspiece in closest range. Meanwhile, Continuous bided his time at the outside of the second-to-last flight. Though he appeared a bit keen near a mile out, jockey Ryan Moore got him settled again soon.
Near five and a half furlongs out, Gregory engaged inside of Denmark to make a battle of it on the front. Gregory shook to the lead near the half-mile mark, but the cavalry was coming. Moore gave Continuous his cue near three and a half furlongs out, and he bean to advance up the inside. Meanwhile Frankie Dettori, in his final ride in an English classic, shifted Arrest into the clear outside.
Continuous shifted outside of Gregory near two and a half furlongs out and took the lead near the quarter-mile mark. Arrest could not match the new leader, as Continuous drove clear in those last two furlongs. He crossed the wire 2 1/4 clear and stopped the timer in 3:06.95 for the 14 1/2 furlongs over turf rated soft.
Arrest kept on for second, finishing half a length ahead of Desert Hero. Tower of London, Gregory, Chesspiece, Middle Earth, Denmark and Alexandroupolis completed the order of finish. Continuous was the second betting choice in Europe at a 3-1 starting price, though he was the 2-1 favorite in the American pari-mutuel pool. Arrest, the European favorite at an 11-4 starting price, went off the 5-2 second choice stateside.
"He's a real smart horse," jockey Ryan Moore told ITV Racing. "We've cantered around, to be honest with you, and I thought, go back to the inside. The run came, and I had to go. He's a very genuine horse. He won a Group race as a 2-year-old on awful ground and he's been coming back, improving every run."
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) on Oct. 1 at Longchamp, to which he would have to be supplemented, is a possible next spot for Continuous. Though O'Brien would not commit to a next spot when speaking to Simon Mapletoft of At the Races after the St. Leger, he said, "it'll depend on what the lads want to do. The Arc is there in two weeks, but we'll see what they want to do."
Continuous is a 3-year-old son of Heart's Cry out of the Galileo mare Fluff. Bred in Japan by Orpendale Bloodstock, Chelston Ireland and Wynatt, he is owned by Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Westerberg. The win was his second in a row, as he prepared for the St. Leger with a 3 3/4-length victory in the Great Voltigeur (G2) at York on Aug. 23. He has a 7: 4-1-1 career line with $839,184 in earnings.
