ALL the indicators are that last Saturday’s William Hill St Leger was a vintage renewal. It looked beforehand like it might be, all the right horses were there and, with all the ‘right’ horses coming to the fore, it looks vintage now all right.

The race was won by the Irish Derby winner, with the Gordon Stakes winner finishing second, the Goodwood Cup and Queen’s Vase winner third, the Curragh Cup winner fourth and the Ribblesdale Stakes winner fifth. Between them, the first five home had already won two Group 1 races, three Group 2 races and two Group 3 races this season. Also, the winning time was good and the Timeform sectionals were strong.

Any one of the first four or five could have won the St Leger in a normal year, and all five could have significantly more to give. Crystal Ocean and Coronet will probably be even more effective back in trip at a mile and a half, while Rekindling and Stradivarius should be more interesting when they move up in trip again. We know that Stradivarius stays two miles, and Rekindling shaped as if he could improve for another step up in trip from a mile and six and a half furlongs. Both will be interesting if they line up in the Qipco Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions’ Day next month, and both could be Cup horses next season.

Strangely, with all the chatter about the placed horses, there is a chance that the winner Capri could be the one to go under the radar. It is difficult to underestimate the magnitude of the performance that the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt put up in winning the Leger.

He and Ryan Moore hit the front just inside the three-furlong pole. He engaged in battle with Stradivarius at that point, as Jim Crowley crept and crept on Crystal Ocean in behind. Then, when Crystal Ocean challenged at the furlong pole as Stradivarius wilted, Capri stuck his head out willingly, responded to his rider’s urgings. Sir Michael Stoute’s colt got to within a half a length, but he never got closer. If they had gone another furlong, he still wouldn’t have got any closer.

Not only was Capri winning one of the strongest renewals of the St Leger run in recent times, but he was also coming into the race on the back of a long break. He missed an intended engagement in the Great Voltigeur, with the result that he was racing for the first time since he won the Irish Derby on the first day of July, two and a half months previously. His strength in the market told you that he was ready to run his race – as does the result – but it is still probable that he will progress again for the experience.

Fourth in the Ballysax Stakes and third in the Derrinstown and sixth in the Derby, the Galileo colt put up a career-best performance when he won the Irish Derby, and he put up another career-best on Saturday.

He does have pace, he wouldn’t have won this Leger if he didn’t have pace, but he obviously stays well and he has a will to win. All of those attributes are serious weapons for a thoroughbred horse to have in his arsenal. He will a very interesting outsider if he does line up in the Arc and, given his rate of progress this term, he could be even better next year.