St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov lands Irish equivalent as Kyprios finishes second on belated return

It was going to require something special to compensate for a poor turnout in a €600,000 Group 1 that was potentially rendered even more dull by defeat for the long odds-on favourite and David Egan's authoritative Irish St Leger victory on Eldar Eldarov was all that.

The 24-year-old was born and reared on the Curragh and this triumph, his first of any description on home soil, elevated proceedings when we might have been left with a damp squib. A five-runner affair was reduced to a paltry quartet when Emily Dickinson was scratched due to a stone bruise, yet it still contrived to produce an uplifting spectacle. 

Son of jockey John Egan and former trainer Sandra Hughes, so a grandson of the greatly missed Dessie Hughes, Egan rode a race full of conviction on last year's Roger Varian-trained St Leger hero to capitalise on Kyprios failing to fully fire on his first start for 344 days. 

Having been held up by Ryan Moore, the talented stayer never looked like he was going to get there in the straight. 

In contrast, Eldar Eldarov, who Egan positioned behind the pace-setting Yashin, travelled powerfully for the first mile and half before finding for pressure to lead two furlongs out.

Moore was chasing on Kyprios but the 4-6 shot was making hard work of it, and Egan stealing first run aboard his race-fit mount was probably crucial.

Eldar Eldarov pulls well clear of Kyprios

The three-and-a-half-length success was Eldar Eldarov's first in five starts since they combined for Classic glory at Doncaster last year.

"He was my first Classic winner but to do it on home soil is great," said a delighted Egan. "I grew up on Osborne Lodge at the five-furlong pole, so it means a lot – it's what dreams are made of."

He added of the winner, who returned at odds of 16-5: "It was very smooth. He is a horse who has a tendency to slightly miss the break, so we did a little bit of gate work at home with the blind, taking it off him as the gates open. I'm delighted he has got his day in the sunshine again."

Eldar Eldarov was a first British-trained winner of the race since Brown Panther in 2014, and the first to claim both St Legers in different years. Three others – Royal Lancer (1922), Trigo (1929) and Touching Wood (1982) – completed the double as three-year-olds when the Irish race was a conventional Classic. 

He was cut to 7-1 (from 14s) for the Long Distance Cup at Ascot, and that is where the four-year-old will now head. 

Eldar Eldarov: beat Kyprios by three and a half lengths

"I'd say he will have one more run and it will most likely be there," Varian said of the KHK Racing-owned son of Dubawi.  

When it was put to him that Egan is bred for the role, he responded: "He is, but he still needs to come out and do it and he is doing a fine job. He has taken his opportunities."

Kyprios was returning after suffering an infection to a joint in the spring. Aidan O'Brien was keen to stress that he was surprised the horse was here at all, and that he was satisfied with the way he performed, with races at Ascot and Longchamp now both on the agenda. 

Moore echoed those sentiments. "It was a very good run on his first start for the best part of a year," he said. "Hopefully he will build on it and be there for another day."

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