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Doncaster St Leger |
Brown Panther Can Still Provide Michael Owen With First Classic Success Despite Newbury Defeat 15/08/11
As most horse racing followers will know, footballer Michael Owen has invested heavily into his ever developing horse racing business and could well have an opportunity to break into the real big time if his highly talented Brown Panther can win the Doncaster St Leger next month. Owen is currently the principle share holder in a three way partnership who own Manor House Stables in Cheshire. The head trainer and also a partner is the emerging Tom Dascombe who has worked wonders already at the yard which is also owned by Owen and Betfair owner, Phil Black. In only its second full season in operation, the efforts of all involved are being noticed, none more so than with the emergence of Brown Panther, the yard's first hope of a classic winner.
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Brown Panther found success in good quality handicap company earlier in the season, winning three times over 12 furlongs, including the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot. He was stepped up in class in July when he took on several classy colts in the Group One German Derby in Hamburg and went off as the 7/4 favourite to win that race. However, after setting a strong pace in a bid to win from the front, the three year old was unable to respond well enough to the urgings of stable jockey, Richard Kingscote in the final two furlongs and had to be content with fourth place.
Undaunted, Brown Panther after a six week break came back to the racecourse on Saturday and ran with great credit over 1 mile 5 furlongs in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, finishing second behind the Richard Hannon trained, Census.
The Geoffrey Freer Stakes has always been regarded as a trial for the St Leger and Dascombe confirmed after the race that Brown Panther would still be aimed at Doncaster despite the fact that Census will also be in the field. Brown Panther in fact defeated Census by six lengths in the King George V Stakes at the Royal meeting, although he was in receipt of 3lb, so this defeat by 1¾ lengths is a slight setback but not a major negative ahead of his chances at Doncaster and Dascombe is positive that he will get the extra furlong of the St Leger and also suggested that he could return to his front running tactics in a bid to reverse this latest piece of form.
The St Leger betting currently has the Aidan O’Brien trained Seville as the 3/1 favourite to win the race, odds which are sure to shorten should he win the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes this week at the York Ebor meeting but he is by no means guaranteed to run in the race. Next in the market is Census at 13/2 while Brown Panther is out to 12/1 which could well represent excellent value to land this emerging racing centre its first major race victory.
