William Hill St Leger
Group 1, Doncaster 15:35
£700,000 added,
3yo only,
1m 6f 115y, Class 1   
Saturday 14th September 2019

Free Racing Tips

1 Logician 5/6F
2 Sir Ron Priestley 7/1
3 Nayef Road 40/1
8 ran Distances: 2¼l, hd, ¾l
Time: 3m 0.27s (fast by 2.73s)

Ridden by Frankie Dettori – who was winning the world’s oldest Classic for the sixth time – the John Gosden-trained Logician was sent off the red-hot 5-6 favourite, following his most recent victory in the Great Voltigeur at York.

That win on the Knavesmire last month had come on the back of success in a Newbury handicap, and the Khalid Abdullah-owned colt duly took this step up to the highest level with aplomb.

Nestled towards the rear through the early stages, Dettori took his time before moving sweetly down the Town Moor straight and sweeping to the front when he asked the grey to quicken a fair way out.

Sir Dragonet briefly threatened to make a race of it. But in the end there was only one horse in it, with Dettori able to ease up close home for a two-and-a-quarter length success from Sir Ron Priestley, who ran a big race for Mark Johnston in the hands of Franny Norton.

It was another head back in third to Nayef Road, also trained by Johnston.

Recording his fifth Leger victory, Gosden said: “He took Frankie on early, you could see Frankie’s hands were higher than usual, but he eventually relaxed well.

“He stayed the trip well, which is always a worry, and the fast ground rather than it being testing probably helped him stay the trip and he’s won in a record time with one flick of the stick.

“He’s a mile-and-a-half horse really, but this is a Classic and Prince Khalid was keen because he breeds these lovely horses and wanted to win a Classic for Frankel – we’ve won him two now as we also won the Oaks for him (with Anapurna).

“The way he quickened with just one flick – he’s a gorgeous horse. I think he’d be better on good ground, rather than good to firm.

“He’ll probably revert to a mile and a half next year. He’s done so much so quickly this year that we’ll put him away now, he won’t run again this season.

“He was held back for some time and I was diligent with him, having not done a lot at two. He’s come a long way in a short period of time.”

Dettori – enjoying another magnificent season and recording his 15th Group One victory of the year – said: “The St Leger has been very lucky for me. That’s probably my easiest one (Leger success) – he’s a serious horse.

“I heard the roar, but we get it about five seconds later, so I’d nearly won by then! But it’s brilliant, there’s nearly 30,000 here, he was the hot favourite so hopefully they’ve lumped on.

“It’s been a great year, thankfully I ride for a great trainer who has lots of good horses in good races. We’ve won two Classics this year and we’ll enjoy this moment before we get ready for the Arc in three weeks’ time (with Enable).”

He added: “John has always been keen on him and I should have known when he made me go to Newbury one evening to ride him in a handicap – I thought it was strange.

“He showed in the Voltigeur he was a good horse and there’s plenty more to come next year.

“There were no problems today, maybe at the start when he jumped so good and took me on a little bit, but from over two out I knew I’d won.”

Charlie Johnston, assistant to his father, said of the runner-up: “He was entered in the Dante and the King Edward, races like that. We’ve had to take things a bit more gradually, one step at a time, and he’s proven today he’s up to the highest level. He was just beaten by a better horse on the day.

“The other horse (Nayef Road) might have been 40-1, but he was placed in the Queen’s Vase, the Bahrain Trophy and won the Gordon Stakes. York was too sharp for him, he’s better at this kind of distance.

“They’ve both run absolute screamers, in a different year they’d have been first and second, but the winner is very good.”

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William Hill St Leger Stakes
£700,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 6f 115y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (4)     Logician 3 9-1 John Gosden Frankie Dettori 5/6F
2 (6) 2¼ Sir Ron Priestley 3 9-1 Mark Johnston Franny Norton 7/1
3 (3) hd Nayef Road 3 9-1 Mark Johnston Andrea Atzeni 40/1
4 (7) ¾ Sir Dragonet 3 9-1 A P O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien 11/4
5 (2) 2 Il Paradiso 3 9-1 A P O'Brien P B Beggy 8/1
6 (8) 1½ Technician 3 9-1 Martyn Meade Rob Hornby 20/1
7 (5) 6 Dashing Willoughby 3 9-1 Andrew Balding William Buick 14/1
8 (1) 10 Western Australia 3 9-1 A P O'Brien Michael Hussey 50/1

ST LEGER ROLL OF HONOUR (1946-2014)
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP Ran

2018 KEW GARDENS
2017 CAPRI
2016 HARBOUR LAW Mrs LJ Mongan George Baker Mrs Jackie Cornwell 22/1 8
2015 SIMPLE VERSE Ralph Beckett Andrea Atzeni QRL/Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani/M Al Kubaisi 8/1 7
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

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