John Gosden could have as many as four runners in the final British Classic of the season at Doncaster next weekend as he sets his sets his sights on a sixth Betfred St Leger and a first since operating on a joint-license with son, Thady.
The Gosden team will be headed by Royal Ascot winner, Gregory, who was last seen finishing third in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York’s Ebor festival. Despite losing his unbeaten record that day, Gosden was happy with the run and has reported Gregory to be in great form ahead of the Betfred St Leger.
Gosden said “Gregory went a little quick early in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. When I saw the early fractions, I thought ‘We’ve just gone inside 12 seconds for a furlong’. I think there were three of them trying to make the lead in order to boss the race and they all got into a scramble early on. You’re not going to do those fractions over the first three furlongs and finish a race. It was obvious where the winner came from, he was 20-lengths out the back. He actually ran a very good race and when Frankie put his hands down he galloped out well to the line and after the line.”
Gregory, who is still the 3/1 favourite with sponsors Betfred, will be hoping to overturn the form with the Aidan O’Brien trained, Continuous, who finished five lengths clear of Gregory at York. Gosden is hopeful that the Golden Horn colt will be able to cope with the relatively short time period between races.
Gosden said “He came out of the race at York in very good order. If the weather is set fair at Doncaster that won’t bother him with it being top of the ground. I have had some luck going from the Voltigeur to the St Leger but I often feel it is quite close if they have had a hard race and I have had a couple bounce, that can happen. I’m very pleased with him at this stage, he seems in great order and very content in himself. He’s got a great mind and he is a pretty laid-back character. I trained both the mother and father and he’s inherited all their good traits of their mental attitude towards racing.”
“He was just a big boy (as a two-year-old). He’s a very tall horse and he just needed to fill his frame out. We gave him all the time he required and he’s done nothing but shine this year. I think he’ll enjoy the distance. We are perfectly aware it looks like being a vintage St Leger.”
Gregory will be partnered by the evergreen, Frankie Dettori, who will be looking to go out with a victory on his final ride in a British Classic. Dettori provided Gosden with both his first and most recent St Leger successes, partnering Shantou in 1996 and Logician in 2019. Gosden will be hoping that Dettori, who has won the Classic six times, can add to what has already been a vintage final year.
Gosden said “I think the great world tour is going exceptionally well. He rolls into Deauville for one ride and wins the Prix Jacques Le Marois. He wins the Juddmonte International at York, Ascot Gold Cup, 2000 Guineas and he won the Dubai Turf earlier this year as well, so I think the world tour is going extremely well and I’m sure he’d love to cap it off at Doncaster in the final Classic.”
Gregory is likely to be joined by Melrose Handicap winner, Middle Earth, who will need to be supplemented for the race. The Qatar Racing-owned Roaring Lion colt took the staying handicap in impressive style at York and seems to be progressing well according to his trainer.
Gosden said “Middle Earth ran a lovely race in the Melrose and I’m really happy with him. He has a very strong likelihood, all being well with his bloods and scopes, to be supplemented. I think Oisin (Murphy) was very impressed with him, he hit the line strong. He came from a long way back and finished off his race well. He’s been a horse we’ve always liked but we’ve had a few niggles along the way and haven’t quite been able to have a smooth run with him.
“Qatar Racing have won the race before and I think they are game to go. It’s the last Classic of the year and it’s for three-year-old’s over a trip. He’s proven he stays the trip, which let me tell you, the one mile six furlongs and a few yards, it is a long straight, it tests the tactical speed and the stamina. He looks like he should be able to answer those two calls.
“If you’d won a handicap in the style he did at York, that was a tougher race than some of the trials. If you’ve got the right horse at the right time and he handles the ground then he has every right to be there.”
Arrest, sent off favourite for the Betfred Derby in June, could also line up after he got back to winning ways with an impressive victory in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury. The Frankel colt looked much more at home back on softer ground, and Gosden confirmed that his participation would be dependent on the state of the ground at Doncaster.
“We’re very pleased with Arrest, he took his race very well at Newbury. He’s in top order but I think if it’s good-to-firm at Doncaster I think you’ll find him heading to Paris for the Prix Chaudenay rather than Doncaster. He’s a lovely horse but he rolls his knee and he’ll enjoy more what I call the autumn ground.”
The final member of the Gosden team could be Lion’s Pride - another son of Gosden’s multiple Group 1 winning colt, Roaring Lion - who finished ahead of stablemate Middle Earth when an impressive winner at Kempton in July. He was last seen finishing third at Windsor, but Gosden felt the way the race played out wasn’t in Lion’s Pride’s favour.
Gosden said “It was a trappy race on a difficult track. They went slow and he pulled, then he came on the outside. It was against older horses and he’s learnt a lot from that. Frankie sat on him yesterday and was very happy with him. I think there’s a likelihood he will run in the race as well, after all there’s only one St Leger. His sire was the last horse off the bridle in Masar’s Derby but he didn’t get the mile-and-a-half. This boy is out of a good source of stamina on the dam’s side. We will have a strong look at it and I will discuss it with his owner / breeder Mr. Oppenheimer and we will come to a conclusion.”
For more information on the Betfred St Leger Festival, or to buy tickets, please visit www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk
