Cazoo St Leger
Group 1, Doncaster 15:55
£700,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m 6f 115y, Class 1   
Sunday 11th September 2022

Free Racing Tips

1 Eldar Eldarov 9/2
2 New London 11/8F
3 Giavellotto 28/1
9 ran Distances: ½l, nk, 2l
Time: 3m 8.39s (slow by 3.59s)

Trained by Roger Varian and ridden by David Egan, Eldar Eldarov had plenty to do two furlongs from home as Haskoy hit the front, looking for a run in what was something of a messy race.

However, when Eldar Eldarov – winner of the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and fourth last time out in the Grand Prix de Paris – found his path, he picked up in fine fashion for Egan, grabbing the lead inside the final furlong to win going away by two lengths.

Haskoy, who drifted towards the far rail at one stage and seemingly impeded Giavellotto, kept on for second with 11-8 favourite New London beaten a further half a length in third. Following the race the stewards deemed the interference Haskoy caused to Gaivellotto was serious enough for the filly to be placed fourth behind Marco Botti’s charge, with New London promoted to second.

Varian – winning the race for the second time after Kingston Hill in 2014 – said: “I quietly thought he had a real big shout today.

“Not everybody was wowed by his run in France last time out, but the winner (Onesto) went and pushed Luxembourg all the way in the Irish Champion Stakes.

“He had a tough race that day which is why he didn’t run again and he was only just getting going at the line in France. His run at Royal Ascot showed he had stamina in abundance and that race is proving a good trial for the Leger. He’s also handled soft ground as a two-year-old.

“So I knew he’d stay and handle the ground, it was whether he was good enough.

“Sometimes the longer you do something the harder things get, so it gets more satisfying. I think we’d only been training three or four years when Kingston Hill won the Leger so this is a very sweet success.

“I think we see him as a Cup horse next season, he’s blessed with stamina and has an admirable attitude. We brought him back to a mile and a half in France and he was only just getting going at the finish.

“If he stays sound we could have him for the next two, three or four years. I think he’s very exciting.

“I’m delighted for David, you won’t meet a nicer guy, he’s genuine, hard working and gracious in defeat while not being obnoxious in victory.”

On the 45th anniversary of the Queen winning the race with Dunfermline and just days after her death, Varian added: “The whole nation is saddened by the loss of the Queen, everyone in racing has been hit hard as we’ve lost our patron really.

“We’re grateful racing went ahead today, I think it’s what she would have wanted. The royal family is grieving and our thoughts are with them.”

Trainers Quotes

Egan was winning his first Classic – and was left “gobsmacked”.

He said: “I was in the position I wanted to be, but I got a bump early in the straight. That almost helped me, though, as it woke him up, he wasn’t taking me into the race given how well he’d travelled throughout.

“He’s going to be a proper stayer. Ease in the ground helped and he hit the line really strong. It’s fantastic, a Classic, I’m gobsmacked, I don’t know what’s going on!

“I got a lovely clean run after that little bump and I was away from the trouble on the inside. It was straightforward – what a horse, he’s done nothing wrong, he just wasn’t suited to a mile and a half on quick ground in France but Onesto won and look how well he ran in Ireland.

“I lost the ride on Mishriff this year, but winning a Classic is something special.

“It’s a week since Jack de Bromhead passed away and he was who I thought about crossing the line. It’s been a sad week with Her Majesty dying.”

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Cazoo St Leger Stakes
£700,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 6f 115y, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good to Soft

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (5)     Eldar Eldarov 3 9-3 Roger Varian David Egan 9/2
4 (3)
2 Haskoy 3 9-0 Ralph Beckett Frankie Dettori 9/2
2 (4)
½ New London 3 9-3 Charlie Appleby William Buick 11/8F
3 (2)
nk Giavellotto 3 9-3 Marco Botti Neil Callan 28/1
5 (6)
hd Emily Dickinson 3 9-0 A P O'Brien Sean Levey 16/1
6 (8)
El Habeeb 3 9-3 Kevin Philippart De Foy Andrea Atzeni 150/1
7 (9)
½ French Claim 3 9-3 P Twomey Daniel Tudhope 9/1
8 (7)
4 Hoo Ya Mal 3 9-3 George Boughey David Probert 15/2
9 (1)
8 Lizzie Jean 3 9-0 Ivan Furtado Richard Kingscote 100/1

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

2021 HURRICANE LANE
2020 GALILEO CHROME
2019 LOGICIAN
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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