Ladbrokes St Leger |
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| Group 1, Doncaster 15:45 £694,300 added, 3yo only, 1m 6f 132y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 12th September 2015 | |
1 Simple Verse 8/1
2 Bondi Beach 2/1J
3 Fields Of Athenry 100/30
NR: Order Of St George (IRE)
7 ran Distances: hd, 1¾l, nse
TIME 3m 7.12s (slow by 3.12s)
Following a stewards' inquiry, Simple Verse, who passed the post 1st, was disqualified and placed 2nd. Bondi Beach was awarded the race. Simple Verse was reinstated as the winner at a later inquiry.
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Bondi Beach was awarded the Ladbrokes St Leger after finishing a head second to the filly Simple Verse. It was only the second disqualification in the race's long history - in 1789 the filly Pewett came in second to a colt called Zanga, who was placed last because of 'jostling' between the pair.
In the latest running, there was contact between 8/1 shot Simple Verse and 2/1 joint favourite Bondi Beach as they went past the other joint favourite Storm The Stars and battled to the line, with the verdict going to Simple Verse. After a prolonged stewards' enquiry and representations from Colm O'Donoghue on Bondi Beach and Andrea Atzeni on Simple Verse, the second verdict went in O'Donoghue's favour.
"It was the stewards who pointed things out," said the Irishman. "It was the application of the rules. I tried to have a fair shot at coming to win, and there were two instances, two incidents, when I got impeded.
"The stewards pointed out the interference and asked me if I felt I had been interfered with -yes I had. I've had a go again, and once again I got taken off my line and had the wind taken out of my horse.
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"After receiving one, it has taken me off my balance and off my line and I am half a length down off Andrea. I have run back again to have a go at him again and again he has hit me, taken me off my line, knocked me off my balance and taken the wind out of my horse. It's racing - they are 500kg animals - and we all want a fair shot at it. I had time to go and get him but again I have got impeded.
"I got banged, and I got back into it. Then I got banged again, and I tried to get back into it. I was run off my line, and the rulebook says that mustn't happen.
"The rule book says: "has interference occurred?" - yes, "were you interfered with" - yes, "did you get taken off your line" - yes, "did you have time to come back again?" - yes, but again I have got impeded, so my momentum has stopped again.
"I tried to have a fair shot at it. The pace of the race was quite slow for everything. That probably allowed the filly to get into it a lot more - she has a weight allowance - but I tried to have a go and got impeded. I have won but the rules have made the decision today."
A furious Ralph Beckett was incandescent with rage following the demotion of Simple Verse.
The 8/1 shot had passed the post a head in front of the Aidan O'Brien-trained Bondi Beach but the stewards reversed the result following a lengthy enquiry, much to the astonishment of the trainer, who stated his intention to appeal the result.
"I'm astonished if anything as there is no consistency in the rule," said Beckett.
"We saw only a week ago, one of Stuart Williams' horses, Suzi's Connoisseur I think it was, on the straight course at Ascot got pinned against the rail and Joe Fanning (jockey) had to stand up in his irons and was only beaten half a length. The jockey on the winning horse had come all away across the track, with his stick in the wrong hand, and pinned him against the rail.
"That horse didn't get the race. We lose the race when clearly, what ever way you look at it, both horses leaned on each other. Can you honestly say that it was entirely her fault? Could you put your hand on your heart and say it was her fault in the last half furlong?
"I don't think I can answer that question - can anybody else? One thing is for certain - we will appeal this. That's all I've got to say on the matter."
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He lost third on the line by a nose to the rallying Fields Of Athenry.
Pat Cosgrave, regular partner of Storm The Stars, said: "I don't think he stayed a mile and six furlongs."
Trainer William Haggas commented: "I am not convinced Storm The Stars got the distance properly. We gave him every chance to get it and he just floundered at the end. But he still ran a good race and it is not the end of the world.
"He wears his heart on his sleeve and when he went to the front I thought he had a chance, especially if Bondi Beach could have hemmed the filly (Simple Verse) in, which he tried very hard to do I think.
"Storm The Stars was only beaten two lengths - he has run a great race. We will probably put him away for next season - we will see.
"He has run his guts out all season and still ran a solid race today. You have to say he was the one travelling the best with two furlongs to run and he did not win.
"We hope to go for the good mile and a half races next season."
Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes
£694,300 added, 3yo only, 1m 6f 132y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (1) | Simple Verse (IRE) 8/1 | Andrea Atzeni 8-12 |
R M Beckett | 3 | |
| 2nd | (8) | hd | Bondi Beach (IRE) 2/1j | C O'Donoghue 9-1 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 3rd | (4) | 1¾ | Fields Of Athenry (IRE) 10/3 | S De Sousa 9-1 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
| 4th | (3) | nse | Storm The Stars (USA) 2/1j | P Cosgrave 9-1 |
W J Haggas | 3 |
| 5th | (6) | 9 | Vengeur Masque (IRE) 16/1 | U Rispoli 9-1 |
M Delzangles | 3 |
| 6th | (5) | ¾ | Medrano 25/1 | F Lynch 9-1 |
D H Brown | 3 |
| 7th | (2) | 7 | Proposed 66/1 | P J Dobbs 9-1 |
R Hannon | 3 |
| NR | (7) | Order Of St George (IRE) 3/1 | Non Runner 9-1 |
A P O'Brien | 3 |
LADBROKES ST LEGER ROLL OF HONOUR (1946-2014)
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP Ran
2014 KINGSTON HILL Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni Paul Smith 9/4F 12
2013 LEADING LIGHT Aidan O’Brien Joseph O’Brien Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 7/2F 11
2012 ENCKE Mahmood Al Zarooni Mickael Barzalona Godolphin 25/1 9
2011 MASKED MARVEL John Gosden William Buick Bjorn Nielsen 15/2 9
2010 ARCTIC COSMOS John Gosden William Buick Rachel Hood & Robin Geffen 12/1 10
2009 MASTERY Saeed bin Suroor Ted Durcan Godolphin 14/1 8
2008 CONDUIT Sir Michael Stoute Frankie Dettori Ballymacoll Stud 8/1 14
2007 LUCARNO John Gosden Jimmy Fortune George Strawbridge 7/2 10
2006** SIXTIES ICON Jeremy Noseda Frankie Dettori Susan Roy 11/8F 11
2005 SCORPION Aidan O’Brien IRE Frankie Dettori Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 10/11F 6
2004 RULE OF LAW Saeed bin Suroor Kerrin McEvoy Godolphin 3/1JF 9
2003 BRIAN BORU Aidan O’Brien IRE Jamie Spencer Sue Magnier 5/4F 12
2002 BOLLIN ERIC Tim Easterby Kevin Darley Sir Neil & Lady Westbrook 7/1 8
2001 MILAN Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 13/8F 10
2000 MILLENARY John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 11/4F 11
1999 MUTAFAWEQ Saeed bin Suroor Richard Hills Godolphin 11/2 9
1998 NEDAWI Saeed bin Suroor John Reid Godolphin 5/2F 9
1997 SILVER PATRIARCH John Dunlop Pat Eddery Peter Winfield 5/4F 10
1996 SHANTOU John Gosden Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 8/1 11
1995 CLASSIC CLICHE Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 100/30F 10
1994 MOONAX Barry Hills Pat Eddery Sheikh Mohammed 40/1 8
1993 BOB'S RETURN Mark Tompkins Philip Robinson Jackie Smith 3/1F 9
1992 USER FRIENDLY Clive Brittain George Duffield Bill Gredley 7/4F 7
1991 TOULON Andre Fabre FR Pat Eddery Khalid Abdullah 5/2F 10
1990 SNURGE Paul Cole Richard Quinn Martyn Arbib 7/2 8
1989* MICHELOZZO Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Charles St George 6/4F 8
1988 MINSTER SON Neil Graham Willie Carson Lady Beaverbrook 15/2 6
1987 REFERENCE POINT Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Louis Freedman 4/11F 7
1986 MOON MADNESS John Dunlop Pat Eddery Duchess of Norfolk 9/2 8
1985 OH SO SHARP Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Sheikh Mohammed 8/11F 6
1984 COMMANCHE RUN Luca Cumani Lester Piggott Ivan Allan 7/4F 11
1983 SUN PRINCESS Dick Hern Willie Carson Sir Michael Sobell 11/8F 10
1982 TOUCHING WOOD Tom Jones Paul Cook Maktoum Al Maktoum 7/1 15
1981 CUT ABOVE Dick Hern Joe Mercer Sir John Astor 28/1 7
1980 LIGHT CAVALRY Henry Cecil Joe Mercer Jim Joel 3/1 7
1979 SON OF LOVE Robert Collet FR Alain Lequeux A Rolland 20/1 17
1978 JULIO MARINER Clive Brittain Edward Hide Marcos Lemos 28/1 14
1977 DUNFERMLINE Dick Hern Willie Carson The Queen 10/1 13
1976 CROW Angel Penna FR Yves Saint-Martin Daniel Wildenstein 6/1CF 15
1975 BRUNI Ryan Price Tony Murray Charles St George 9/1 12
1974 BUSTINO Dick Hern Joe Mercer Lady Beaverbrook 11/10F 10
1973 PELEID Bill Elsey Frankie Durr Bill Behrens 28/1 13
1972 BOUCHER Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Ogden Phipps 3/1 7
1971 ATHENS WOOD Tom Jones Lester Piggott Mrs John Rogerson 5/2 8
1970 NIJINSKY Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 2/7F 9
1969 INTERMEZZO Harry Wragg Ron Hutchinson Gerry Oldham 7/1 11
1968 RIBERO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 100/30 8
1967 RIBOCCO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 7/2 9
1966 SODIUM George Todd Frankie Durr R J Sigita 7/1 9
1965 PROVOKE Dick Hern Joe Mercer John Astor 28/1 11
1964 INDIANA Jack Watts Jimmy Lindley Charles Engelhard 100/7 15
1963 RAGUSA Paddy Prendergast IRE Garnet Bougoure Jim Mullion 2/5F 7
1962 HETHERSETT Dick Hern Harry Carr Major Lionel Holliday 100/8 15
1961 AURELIUS Noel Murless Lester Piggott Mrs V Lilley 9/2 13
1960 ST PADDY Noel Murless Lester Piggott Sir Victor Sassoon 4/6F 9
1959 CANTELO Charles Elsey Edward Hide William Hill 100/7 11
1958 ALCIDE Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Sir Humphrey de Trafford 4/9F 8
1957 BALLYMOSS Vincent O’Brien IRE T P Burns Jock McShain 8/1 16
1956 CAMBREMER George Bridgland FR Freddie Palmer R B Strassburger 8/1 13
1955 MELD Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Lady Zia Wernher 10/11F 8
1954 NEVER SAY DIE Joe Lawson Charlie Smirke Robert Sterling Clark 100/30 16
1953 PREMONITION Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Eph Smith W P Wyatt 10/1 11
1952 TULYAR Marcus Marsh Charlie Smirke H H Aga Khan III 10/11F 12
1951 TALMA II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 7/1 18
1950 SCRATCH II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 9/2 15
1949 RIDGE WOOD Noel Murless Michael Beary G R H Smith 100/7 16
1948 BLACK TARQUIN Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Edgar Britt W Woodward 15/2 14
1947 SAYAJIRAO Fred Armstrong Edgar Britt Maharaja Of Baroda 9/2 11
1946 AIRBOURNE Dick Perryman Tommy Lowrey Jock Ferguson 3/1 11
* Run at Ayr
** Run at York
