Who Are The Favourites For St. Leger Stakes?
The final Classic of the British flat season is quickly approaching, as the brightest three-year-olds in training will travel to Doncaster for the featured race in September. It is set to be a stacked field of quality that go to post for the race, which will be run over one mile and six furlongs.
Hosting both the St. Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy, the Doncaster Racecourse is as important to British horse racing, as the Gulfstream Race Track to Americans (click here to learn more).
The purse for the race also makes it one of the most lucrative races, with a £700,000 purse available. However, which horses could be among the favourites for the St Leger when it is run on Saturday, 11th September?
Hurricane Lane
Charlie Appleby’s three-year-olds have been in excellent form this season, while Godolphin will be looking for yet another famous win after previously claiming success in the Belmont Stakes and Epsom Derby earlier in the season.
Hurricane Lane could be their leading contender for success in the St Leger, as his form has progressed excellently throughout the season.
His only defeat so far came when he finished third in the Derby behind stablemate Adayar. However, he bounced back and showed his quality by storming to the line to beat Lone Eagle by a neck in the Irish Derby.
That was swiftly followed up with a dominant display in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris, as he beat Wordsworth by six lengths. A Classic win would be the perfect way to end his season.
Adayar
Hurricane Lane’s stablemate, and Derby winner Adayar is also currently available in the betting. However, it is unknown whether this Appleby-trained horse will target the St Leger, as the Arc could instead be his target in the second half of the season.
Adayar’s season has gone from strength to strength throughout the campaign. He went into the Derby as a 14/1 shot after back-to-back seconds in Classic trials at Sandown and Lingfield.
However, his performance at Epsom was one of the standouts in recent years. He dismantled the field to win by four and a half lengths from Mojo Star. That success was followed up with another huge win in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as he beat both Mishriff and Love in a star-studded renewal.
Alenquer
William Haggas-trained Alenquer remains one of the most respected three-year-olds in training this season, despite having come up short in recent starts.
He was beaten by Hurricane Lane in the Grand Prix de Paris, before coming second behind a dominant Mishriff in the recent Juddmonte International Stakes at the Ebor Festival. However, he has claimed two famous wins already this season, and is rightly among the leading contenders for the St Leger.
His first big win in 2021 came as he beat Adayar by half a length in the Classic Trial at Sandown, despite being a 25/1 chance. That was followed up by a Royal Ascot win in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes. There could be more to come.
Lone Eagle
Martyn Meade has enjoyed a fine season with Lone Eagle to this point, but a Classic winner would be the perfect way to sign off for his three-year-old season. He was narrowly denied the dream Irish Derby winner that he had dreamed of back in June, as he was chinned on the line by Hurricane Lane.
That was followed up with a run in the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but he could only finish fifth or five in the high-quality field.
Still, he has won four from eight career starts, which included a win in a listed race at Goodwood in May. He did claim a graded victory as a two-year-old in the G3 Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes at Newmarket last year, but a graded win this term would be thoroughly deserved.