Doncaster Saturday
Betfred St Leger (Group 1)
HIGHWAYMAN (Joseph O’Brien/Saffie Osborne) landed the 250th Betfred St Leger at 11/1, beating stablemate Enceladus (Joseph O’Brien/Billy Loughnane) by two and a half lengths. Amelia Earhart (Aidan O’Brien/Tom Marquand) stayed on for third, another four and a quarter lengths away.
For all the race’s history, this was an entirely new chapter. Osborne became the first woman to ride the winner of a British classic, achieving the landmark in the anniversary edition of the oldest of the five.
Alex Greaves, Hayley Turner and Hollie Doyle had each broken significant barriers before her, but Osborne’s victory on Town Moor carried female representation into a sphere British flat racing had yet to reach.
Highwayman took a keen hold in midfield before making headway on the outer more than three furlongs from home. Osborne allowed him to stride on over two furlongs out, earlier than she had envisaged but with the colt travelling too strongly to restrain. He hung right under pressure in the final furlong but kept on strongly as Enceladus emerged from traffic to chase him home.
Good judgement
Osborne’s judgement was central to the result. More forward than planned, she trusted the horse beneath her, committed when the opportunity came and still had enough in reserve when Loughnane drew to her girth.
Highwayman responded, and his rider passed the post clear before celebrating a victory which had seemed improbable only days earlier, when she did not even have a mount in the race.
She said afterwards: “I don’t think I’ve ever been speechless in my life and I didn’t have this on the bingo card for this week. I didn’t have a ride in the race on Monday morning, let alone one with a chance.” Thanking Joseph O’Brien and his team for their faith, she added: “This means the absolute world and as I crossed the line, I was in shock. I just can’t believe it and it just doesn’t feel real.”
The result also represented a notable training achievement for Joseph O’Brien, who supplied the first two home and secured his second St Leger after Galileo Chrome in 2020. Highwayman had progressed rapidly from maiden company through a listed success at Leopardstown, and the manner in which he saw the trip out suggests his rise may not be complete.
O’Brien, watching from Leopardstown, said: “The two of them are two really nice, progressive stayers. It’s a special race and he was impressive, I thought. He was a slow learner and mentally he was immature, but when he got rolling, he improved hand over fist.”
DESERT Castle (Charlie Appleby/Billy Loughnane) maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive three-length success in the Group 2 Betfred Champagne Stakes.
The even-money favourite beat Sergei Diaghilev (Aidan O’Brien/Wayne Lordan), with Breacher (William Muir & Chris Grassick/Lewis Edmunds) another length and three-quarters away in third.
A shade slowly away and held up at the rear of the five-runner field, Desert Castle travelled smoothly into contention passing the two-furlong pole. He joined Sergei Diaghilev and Gentle Hurricane before taking over entering the final furlong, edging left once in front but quickening away under a hands-and-heels ride.
The full-brother to Dream Castle had looked raw but highly promising when winning on debut at Newmarket, and this was a significant step forward in class.
Appleby identified the Dewhurst Stakes as the natural next target, while Loughnane felt the colt would have no difficulty stepping up to a mile. He remains a work in progress, but the ease with which he settled the race marks him down as a leading 2000 Guineas prospect.
MORE Thunder (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) returned to winning form in the Group 2 Betfred Park Stakes, the 4/5 favourite coming from last to beat Flora Of Bermuda (Andrew Balding/Callum Rodriguez) by a length and three quarters. Long-time leader Qirat (Ralph Beckett/Silvestre de Sousa) was a neck farther back in third.
More Thunder dwelt and was allowed to find his feet at the rear as Qirat made the running. Flora Of Bermuda moved past the leader inside the final furlong, but Marquand’s mount was beginning to gather momentum on the near side and swept through in the final 110 yards to win going away.
The performance was a reminder that More Thunder is particularly effective at seven furlongs when delivered late.
His patient handling contrasted with the pressure applied to those racing prominently, and the authority of his finish confirmed that the drop from Group 1 company had placed him in a race he was entitled to dominate.
Around the tracks
AT Chester, Plage De Havre (Andrew Balding/Callum Hutchinson) landed the Listed Virgin Bet Stand Cup over a mile and four and a half furlongs. The 3/1 chance raced prominently, moved into second over a furlong out, and led inside the final furlong before running on strongly to beat Grey Cuban by three quarters of a length.
The 4/7 favourite Dubai Honour was two lengths farther back in third after hanging left under pressure and failing to make an impression on the first two.
Pole Star (Charlie Johnston/Sean D Bowen) made virtually all to take the £100,000 Virgin Bet Watergate Cup over two miles. The 11/1 shot led narrowly from six furlongs out and kept on resolutely to hold Granite Bay by a length, with Shipshape another length and three quarters away in third.
A steadily run contest saw Pole Star well positioned but he showed great determination and deserves credit having had a gruelling race through the Haydock mud in the Old Borough Cup just a week earlier.
Thornton on the mark
There was Irish success at Musselburgh as Boxing Great (Karl Thornton/Jason Hart) justified 5/6 favouritism in the Scots Association Musselburgh Gold Cup Handicap over two miles and two furlongs. The six-year-old, trained by Thornton near Skerries in Co Dublin, travelled smoothly from the rear, swept into the lead halfway up the home straight and went clear inside the final furlong to beat Fast Fred readily by four and three-quarter lengths. The victory completed a quick double for Boxing Great following his narrow Down Royal success eight days earlier.