HAVING TAKEN the spoils three times in the past eight years, Aidan O’Brien looks set to have another strong hand in this year’s Ladbrokes St Leger with the Ballydoyle handler being responsible for five of the 11 horses remaining for the world’s oldest Classic. The champion trainer has already taken the extended mile-and-three-quarter Doncaster show-piece with Milan (2001), Brian Boru (2003) and Scorpion (2005).
His quintet for this year’s Classic on Saturday, September 12th, is headed by Age Of Aquarius, who was runner-up in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in mid-July.
O’Brien may also be represented by the progressive Changingoftheguard, who was a comfortable winner of the Ulster Derby before going down by a head in the fiercely-competitive Ebor Handicap at York on August 19th.
The potential Coolmore challenge is completed by Curragh handicap winner Johann Zoffany, Von Jawlensky, who was runner-up in a Roscommon Listed race in June, and Newmarket 3-y-o Trophy third Rockhampton.
Fellow Irish trainer John Oxx has already plundered the 2,000 Guineas and Derby with Sea The Stars and the Co Kildare handler may bid for a third Classic this season with Mourayan.
The Alhaarth colt, home-bred by the Aga Khan, was third to Fame And Glory in the Group One Irish Derby and chased home Profound Beauty in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes on his latest appearance at Leopardstown on August 13th.
The sponsors make Kite Wood their 5 to 2 market leader after he powered to Group Three victories in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket in July and the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on August 15th.
The Godolphin colt is set to make a second appearance at the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival, having taken a mile maiden at the meeting last year for former trainer Michael Jarvis.
The John Dunlop-trained Tactic was runner-up to Kite Wood in the Bahrain Trophy and went on to be fourth in the Group Three Betfair Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on July 28th.
The son of Sadler’s Wells may bid to give his trainer a fourth success in the Ladbrokes St Leger following on from Moon Madness (1986), Silver Patriarch (1997) and Millenary (2000).
Angus Gold, racing manager to Tactic’s owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “It remains to be seen whether an extra two furlongs can turn him into a St Leger winner, but we will decide if we go to Doncaster with him in due course.”
Apart from Kite Wood, Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has also left in Mastery, who took the Group Two Italian Derby in May.
ST LEGER BETTING(Ladbrokes): 5-2 Kite Wood, 3-1 Age Of Aquarius, 6-1 Monitor Closely, 7-1 Changingoftheguard, 10-1 Father Time, Manifest, Mourayan, Urban Poet, 16-1 Mastery, 25-1 Johann Zoffany, Tactic, 33-1 Von Jawlensky, 100-1 Above Average, Rockhampton.
