The Weekend Winners panel reconvened to share their leading selections for the upcoming Saturday at the St Leger Festival, with a special focus on the headline Betfred St Leger Stakes, scheduled to start at 3:35 p.m. on Saturday and broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. Among the contenders, Enceladus currently leads the betting market for trainer Joseph O'Brien, while the Ballydoyle stable has two strong entries: Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard. Last year’s victorious jockey Tom Marquand will be aboard Amelia Earhart, and Saffie Osborne is slated to ride Highwayman.
"I’m backing Christmas Day over Enceladus," the analyst began. "Enceladus was my ante‑post pick because we knew he would be aimed at Doncaster after his Goodwood run. He possesses a lovely, progressive staying profile, even though he hasn’t yet proved himself in a Classic. He’s unbeaten in three starts in 2026, having claimed his maiden at Cork, then the King George VI Stakes at Royal Ascot, before stepping up to Group 3 and winning the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood over just under a mile and a half.
His Royal Ascot performance has aged well, which matters because some might have dismissed him as merely a well‑handicapped horse winning on an 89‑pound mark. The Gordon Stakes showed he belongs in pattern company, and he finished his race with a powerful late surge.
He is by Sea The Stars, and every sign of his development since the step up in distance points to stamina becoming his primary asset rather than raw speed. The St Leger’s distance of a mile and six‑and‑a‑half furlongs suits him perfectly. Comparisons are being drawn with Galileo Chrome, another O'Brien‑trained winner of the race in 2020. As for Christmas Day, his Derby form was a win that benefited from a weak field and favorable conditions on the day.
Never miss a story with the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone. Find out more. "I’m a Christmas Day backer," he continued.
"Does the favourite really have the form to justify being shorter than Christmas Day? I’m not convinced.
I can see the appeal of Enceladus – his progressive style – and you do get horses that can pull it off in this race, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the market flips on the day and Christmas Day receives a surge of support. St Leger: History‑maker Saffie Osborne fights back tears after Doncaster triumph.
Today on Sky Sports Racing: Touleen faces Forty Years On at Doncaster. Betfred St Leger: Saffie Osborne becomes the first woman to win a British Classic as Highwayman clinches the Doncaster feature.
She’s done it! Saffie Osborne makes history on Highwayman in the Leger at Doncaster. Leger Festival: Desert Castle 6/1 for 2000 Guineas after Champagne Stakes success at Doncaster. Hollie Doyle blog: Big fan of Forty Years On in Sceptre Stakes on final day of Doncaster’s Leger Festival.
See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing. "I view the York run as a stepping‑stone toward this race – we’ve seen that pattern before. If it rains as it did at Epsom, I have no concerns; he handled that ground well.
I do acknowledge that the Derby form is still ambiguous. The Irish Derby second‑place finish behind Benvenuto Cellini was respectable, and I think this will be a two‑horse contest, given my waning confidence in Pierre Bonnard throughout the season. I favour the horse that has already ticked the big‑day box.
"My gut says this is a fairly average renewal of the Leger, and I’m not convinced the two Ballydoyle runners will make huge strides over the extended trip. I like Enceladus, but I wonder why they have added cheekpieces – he has looked raw behind the bridle, so perhaps they’re trying to sharpen his focus.
Still, when you increase the distance you usually want to keep a horse calm rather than light him up, yet he does appear the strongest stayer among the market leaders. "I can’t believe I’ve come round to Amelia Earhart.
With her sex allowance factored in, she becomes an intriguing option. I’m not sure she’ll be in love with winning, but my own calculations show she has been improving steadily.
She started the season as the favourite for the Oaks after a solid run in the Cheshire Oaks, only to disappoint on the day. Perhaps she thrives later in the year and on softer ground, rather than on the firm summer turf. "They’ve been tinkering with her headgear – blinkers, then a hood, now everything is off.
Clearly the connections have identified something they think can be refined. She is a full sister to Cleveland, the Chester Cup winner, so the stamina pedigree is there.
Of all the Ballydoyle horses, she should benefit most from the longer distance, and if she does, the odds offer real value. I’ll back her to finish in the top three at 11/2. Watch Weekend Winners in full on the At The Races YouTube channel...