Horse Talk with Simon Jackson:
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JOHN Gosden has won the St Leger five times and is well represented this year with four entries that include the favourite Gregory and supplementary entry Middle Earth.
Gosden first won the St Leger in 1996 with Shantou and has since added victories in the extended 14-furlong contest with Lucarno (2007), Arctic Cosmos (2010), Masked Marvel (2011) and Logician (2019).
The Newmarket handler has four entries in the last UK Classic race of the season with Arrest and Lion’s Pride featuring alongside Royal Ascot winner Gregory and recent York winner Middle Earth in the oldest Classic race of the season, at Doncaster on September 16.
Gregory heads the St Leger betting at 3-1, despite suffering his first defeat in four runs when third in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last week.
Richard Brown, racing adviser to Gregory’s owners Wathnan Racing, said: “We said after Ascot that his main target would be the Leger and that this [Great Voltigeur] was the obvious race to take en route.
“We’d love to have won it, but they went pretty hard up front – those early fractions were pretty fierce. We were initially disappointed, but then you see where the two horses that went with him finished and where he finished.
“Frankie [Dettori] looked after him when his winning chance had gone and actually when he stood up on him, the horse ran on again on his own.
“Back up to a mile and six furlongs in the Leger is going to be much more his game. I’ve been in racing long enough not to be overly optimistic as things go wrong and maybe he’s not good enough, but I think he’s going to go there with a big chance.”
“He’s come out of the race in great shape, John and Thady are very happy with him, it’s all systems go and we’re looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, the Gosdens have indicated that Middle Earth, an impressive winner of the one mile and six-furlong Melrose Stakes at York, will be supplemented for the St Leger.
Ahead of the York win Middle Earth was not a part of the Leger entry list. However, it has been reported that the Knavesmire performance has inspired connections to pay the £50,000 supplementary entry fee to secure a place in the St Leger.
Joint-trainer Thady Gosden said of Middle Earth: “He’s progressed well throughout the year. He’s always looked like a nice staying colt in the making.
“Of course, he won the Melrose, which is an impressive handicap, in good style.
“He’s got plenty of size and scope, he’s a horse that’s taken time to mature, as many three-year-olds do.
“It’s a fortunate position to be in, to have a few horses who could take up starting positions in the St Leger.”
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