Doncaster St Leger Guide

The three year old has been a real success story for the fairly small yard having made his seasonal debut in June when finishing second at Kempton, but since then improving with every run and showing he is a real black type contender.

He headed to Royal Ascot for his second start of the season and he was a shock winner of the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes seeing off the likes of Mogul for Aidan O'Brien.

He was given a Derby entry and went to Epsom but having being bumped in the big field early on he ran no race and as a far as Muir was concerned that can go down as a blip.

He proved how special he can be last time out when taking the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York's Ebor meeting, being eased down in the final stages and with the winner of the St Leger using that race for his prep run last season, it reads very well.

The three year old son of Derby winner Authorized really burst onto the racing scene this year having landed both his contests in fine style starting with a dominating display in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

He then dropped back two furlongs to contest the Irish Derby at the Curragh last Saturday and he managed to stay the trip the best of the pack just fending off stablemate Tiger Moth to take the Classic honours.

After landing his first Group One event, Santiago was tried at two miles for the first time in his career last time out at Goodwood and was outclassed by Stradivarius, but if getting back to his old form O'Brien could go close again in a contest he has landed twice in the last three years.

The three year old colt was a decent two year old, only racing twice and getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Kempton over a mile.

Burrows always planned to step this horse up in trip and on his seasonal debut this term he landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in gritty style.

The way he battled and stayed on that day showed he could handle a bigger trip and when stepped up to 1m5f in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, he was a runaway winner in soft conditions.

He is very versatile ground wise and has been highly progressive so far this season and looks to be the value in the race.

A horse that has undergone a slight gamble in this race is the Joseph O'Brien trained Galileo Chrome who was 20/1 at the start of the week but is now as short as 6s.

The three year old has been highly progressive this term landing a hat-trick of wins in his three runs, stepping up in class with each run.

The colt back in June landed an 18 runner maiden, then he was shoved into a handicap contest and won nicely by six lengths.

Stepping up to Listed company last time out he again stepped up a massive amount to take the race by five lengths and that was his first try at the St Leger distance.

This youngster could turn out to be anything, but with a quickly improving profile and stamina in the ban he has to be feared.

It would not be a St Leger without a Mark Johnston runner and Subjectivist looks to be his only runner in the race but could grab an each way place if running to his best.

The three year old has been raced frequently this season at different distances with some nice form over 1m4f and 1m6f.

He finished a staying on third at Royal Ascot in the King George V Stakes behind Hukum and then last time out when stepped up to 1m6f for the first time, he revelled in it landing the Group Three March Stakes at Goodwood.

He will need to be on his A game to go close but Johnston had the second and third in the race last year so it would not be a surprise to see Subjectivist in the placings.

Ballydoyle's second string runner in this years Leger is Dawn Patrol and although the three year old has shown consistent form, there is a doubt he likes it this far.

The three year old made his seasonal debut at Leopardstown over 1m2f and finished a good second to stablemate Tiger Moth, who franked that form when a narrow second in the Irish Derby.

Since then the Galileo colt was subsequently third to Santiago and Tiger Moth again in that Classic contest and he backed that up by getting off the mark in a maiden.

He looked to back that up in a Listed event but did not fully stay the 1m6f and finished off third and if wanting to go close in this he will have had to improve once more.

Into the bigger prices on the day and the David Simcock trained Mohican Heights was touted to have a big season for the yard but has since been very flat.

The three year old won both his races as a juvenile in good style but since being stepped into better company has struggled when third in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and 12th of 16 in the Epsom Derby.

The extra distance needs to bring him on a fair bit to get involved here.

Berkshire Rocco is another nearly horse this term, putting in some solid efforts but not being able to get his nose in front and now into a Group One it does not look the race where he is going to do so.

On his seasonal debut he was a fair second behind English King in the Lingfield Derby Trial and he again played runner up when stepped up in trip for the 1m6f Queen's Vase behind Santiago.

He looked to make a statement in the Group Two Great Volitgeur at York but was a tame fourth and on his overall form this season he has bundles to find.

The Andrew Slattery team field Sunchart over from Ireland and at a big price they are expecting him to go well having close form to Dawn Patrol who is half the price.

The three year old has posted two fair seconds on his last two starts with his latest run in the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes seeing him beat Dawn Patrol.

He will appreciate this stamina test but will have to outrun his big odds of 40/1 to get involved.

The penultimate runner of the 12 strong field is the final runner for the master Irish trainer and this horse has just been a ball of frustration all season.

Being beautifully bred the colt has shown very little in terms of class, finishing fifth of six runners in a Group Three on debut and then going backwards when 13th of 16 in the Epsom Derby.

Again, although giving a slightly better run he was still underwhelming in a small field at Leopardstown and he is being trie at this trip for the first time in his career.

Derby winning jockey on board.

The big outsider but if like his name is not to be overlooked Tyson Fury who his trainer Richard Hughes has explained that back in February the two-time heavyweight world champion of the world had given his blessing for a horse to be named after him, with part owner Phil Cunningham being friendly with a member of Fury’s team.

The horse was not seen straight away on a racecourse and was patiently waited on by the Newmarket handler, but at the start of July at Doncaster he was unleashed and bolted up at odds of 20/1.

He needs to have improved from that run, but he proved he stayed and is sort of an unknown entity in this company.