St Leger: Timeform preview, tip and free racecard
The St Leger Stakes (14:25) at Doncaster on Saturday is available as a free Race Pass, which means logged-in customers can view all our premium comments and ratings.
The St Leger (15:35) takes centre stage at Doncaster on Saturday and nine runners are set to head to post in the oldest Classic, with Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings headed by Continuous (132) based on the form he showed when a decisive winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last month.
Continuous had been unable to match King of Steel's impressive turn of foot in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on his penultimate start, but the Great Voltigeur was run at a stronger gallop which suited Continuous and allowed him to raise his game. Continuous kept on powerfully after hitting the front two furlongs out and was well on top at the line, passing the post three and three-quarter lengths clear. That very smart performance sets the standard here and places Continuous 5 lb clear at the head of Timeform's ratings, while the way he finished his race off at York suggests he will cope with this step up to an extended mile and three-quarters (from a mile and a half).
Gregory (127p) was sent off favourite for the Great Voltigeur but, having cut out the running under a penalty for his Queen's Vase win, he had no answer when tackled over a couple of furlongs out. He stuck to his task well, though, and was keeping on again inside the final furlong, leaving the impression that he will relish a return to a longer trip. He had shown his stamina when pulling out plenty to win the Queen's Vase over a mile and three-quarters at Royal Ascot on his previous outing.
Gregory was ridden by Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot and at York but the jockey, contesting his final British Classic here, has elected to ride Arrest (127). Arrest, who like Gregory is trained by John & Thady Gosden, was only narrowly denied in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud on his final start last season and he underlined his effectiveness on testing ground when bolting up in the Chester Vase on his reappearance in May. Arrest disappointed under firmer conditions in the Derby and in the King Edward VII Stakes but he bounced back on easier ground at Newbury last month, readily landing the Geoffrey Freer Stakes from the front. He will appreciate the cut in the ground at Doncaster and the way he saw things out over a mile and five furlongs in the Geoffrey Freer suggests he should stay this longer trip.
A strong team for the Gosdens is completed by Middle Earth (121p) who has been supplemented for this following his emphatic victory in the Melrose Handicap at York last month. He had got the better of the promising Naqeeb in a Newmarket novice on his penultimate outing and took another step forward to make a successful handicap debut in the Melrose, impressing with how quickly he settled matters without being asked for maximum effort. That comfortable length-and-three-quarter success earned Middle Earth the Horse In Focus Flag and marked him out as a stayer on the up, so he is worth a shot at this.
Tower of London (125) also earned the Horse In Focus Flag when beaten only a head by Castle Way in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket in July. He had won a listed race at Leopardstown and the Ulster Derby at Down Royal beforehand and may well have completed the hat-trick at Newmarket had his rider not dropped his whip inside the final couple of furlongs. The steady pace at Newmarket would also have counted against Tower of London who is a brother to St Leger winner Capri and he has the potential to raise his game now faced with a stiffer test of stamina.
Tower of London and Continuous are part of Aidan O'Brien's four-strong team that is completed by Alexandroupolis (112p) and Denmark (120). Denmark ran well when runner-up to Middle Earth in the Melrose and put up another creditable effort to finish third in a good-quality handicap at Haydock last weekend, but he looks up against at this level, while Alexandroupolis retains potential but needs to take a big step forward on what he has shown so far.
Also in the line up are Desert Hero (124) and Chesspiece (124), the one-two from the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Desert Hero won the competitive King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot and raised his game again to land the Gordon Stakes, showing a good turn of foot to get out of a tricky position when the pace lifted, and he may not have reached his limit.
Chesspiece couldn't match Desert Hero's change of pace at Goodwood but he stuck to his task well and probably would have benefited from setting a stronger pace considering he had already proved his stamina over further. He was a creditable third behind Gregory in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot.
Timeform Analyst Verdict:
Just the 9 runners for the oldest Classic but it has a very open feel to it. CONTINUOUS took his form to a whole new level in a well-run race when a decisive winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and that marks him out as the one to beat with this trip likely to unlock even more. Gregory failed to land the odds in that race but he carried a penalty that day and this contest will play to his strengths (though Dettori now rides Arrest). At longer odds, Tower of London cannot be ruled out.
Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:
132 Continuous
127p Gregory
127 Arrest
125p Tower of London
124 Desert Hero
124 Chesspiece
121p Middle Earth
120 Denmark
112p Alexandroupolis
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