The United States is marking its 250th birthday this year, and at the same time the world’s oldest Classic race – the St Leger – reaches another milestone. Very few sporting contests can claim such longevity, which makes the upcoming renewal at Doncaster all the more compelling.
The big question on everyone’s mind is which horse will emerge victorious on Saturday’s Betfred St Leger. A particularly encouraging sign is the presence of the Derby winner, Christmas Day, who has been entered in the race.
It is relatively rare for a Derby champion to contest the Leger; even the legendary Shergar managed only a fourth‑place finish when he tried the double, and Camelot’s recent attempt fell just short of a Triple Crown. The Leger, at one mile and six furlongs, is a furlong and a half shy of the two‑mile distance of the Gold Cup, meaning a horse must combine genuine stamina with a turn of speed to succeed. Historically, only a handful of horses have managed to win both the Derby and the Leger – the most recent being Never Say Die, St Paddy, Nijinsky and Reference Point, all of whom backed up their Epsom triumphs with a Leger victory. Christmas Day will be hoping to join that elite club.
His main rival on the day is stablemate Pierre Bonnard, also trained by Aidan O’Brien. The O’Brien stable will be looking for a record‑breaking tenth Leger win, but that ambition could be challenged by Joseph O’Brien, who trains the favourite Enceladus. The jockey for Christmas Day is Sean Levey, while Pierre Bonnard will be ridden by a member of the O’Brien family as well. Action, a close relative of last year’s Derby winner Lambourn, has shown flashes of quality – a third‑place finish to Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge Stakes and a strong second to Hawk Mountain in the Group 1 Futurity – but his recent form has been disappointing.
After a lackluster performance in the Derby, where he raced too freely in cheekpieces, he has been relegated to a pacemaking role in the Irish Derby, the King George, and the Juddmonte. In the latter he failed to get a clean start and was left trailing in the closing stages. Given his recent struggles and the fact that the St Leger is a step up in distance, Action’s chances look slim.
Rossa Ryan, representing Richard Hannon, points out that many observers thought Alderman might be aimed at the Leger after a respectable fifth‑place finish behind Christmas Day in the Derby, only a length or two off the fourth‑place spot. However, Alderman’s form has not progressed; he was last of five in the Bahrain Trophy on firm ground and remains a maiden despite his evident talent. Soft ground would suit him, but the race is likely to be too demanding for a horse still seeking his first win. Ronan Whelan, also for Aidan O’Brien, reminds us that the last horse to win both the Derby and the Leger was Reference Point in 1987.
Christmas Day appears to have the best chance of replicating that feat, especially if the town moor sees some rain. His Derby victory on soft ground was decisive – a three‑length win over the Arc‑target Maltese Cross – and remains the strongest form in the field. Although he was beaten in the Irish Derby, he fought back to finish a neck behind Benvenuto Cellini and ahead of Pierre Bonnard.
The same pattern repeated in the Great Voltigeur, where Pierre Bonnard turned the tables after receiving a five‑pound allowance. Christmas Day has been remarkably consistent all season and should be able to handle the distance, even if he does not improve further.
Billy Loughnane, riding for Joseph O’Brien, has a strong case for his mount Enceladus. The colt is unbeaten as a three‑year‑old and has shown progressive improvement, notably with a dominant King George V Handicap win at Royal Ascot and a Group 3 Gordon Stakes victory at Goodwood.
His turn of foot in the final furlong at Goodwood was impressive, though he drifted slightly right – a habit that may have prompted today’s cheekpiece fit. Joseph O’Brien is hoping to repeat his 2017 Leger success with Galileo Chrome, and Enceladus, a son of Sea The Stars, appears fresh and capable of further improvement. The jockey, Billy Loughnane, will wear the iconic Niarchos silks after Dylan Brown McMonagle’s unfortunate injury at Bellewstown.
Danny Tudhope, for Andrew Balding, highlights a horse that showed promise by winning a maiden at Chester’s Boodles May Festival and was the favourite for the Queen’s Vase, only to finish sixth to Limestone. A respectable second in the Bahrain Trophy hinted at progress, but a heavy defeat in the Great Voltigeur suggests he may be overfacing the competition, even with newly added cheekpieces.
Clifford Lee, representing Karl Burke, points out one of the less heralded contenders – a runner who has won two of his four starts, including a narrow victory over Del Maro in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood. However, his form stalled in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot when he was overly keen and faded in the straight. His full brother Arabian Force stays a mile and six furlongs, indicating that the pedigree can handle the distance, but the horse still needs to settle and improve.
David Probert, also for Andrew Balding, notes a modest record of one win from six starts, but the horse has been inching forward. That lone win came over a mile and a half in July, followed by a clear second in a valuable Goodwood handicap.
As the lowest‑rated runner in the field, he faces an uphill battle, yet recent backing suggests some punters see potential for a surprise performance. Saffie Osborne, riding for Joseph O’Brien, believes Enceladus’s stablemate could be the most intriguing entry. After a slow start to his career, the colt surged with a 250‑to‑1 odds win at Naas over a mile, then stretched out to a nine‑length victory at Killarney over a mile and a half, and finally captured the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown over a mile and six furlongs.
His high head carriage and ability to stay the distance indicate he could still improve and perhaps make history with Osborne aboard. Wayne Lordan, another O’Brien rider, is the most experienced of the field. He won the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 1 Critérium de Saint‑Cloud over a mile and a quarter, showing versatility on both firm and testing ground.
After a modest Derby run, he placed third, a neck behind Christmas Day, in the Irish Derby and then turned the tables in the Great Voltigeur, giving Maltese Cross a run for his money. His dam’s half‑sister placed third in the Park Hill, reinforcing his stamina credentials. Jason Watson, riding for Faye Bramley, has a useful but relatively unexposed colt who finished sixth in the Derby and repeated a similar effort in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury. The pedigree suggests stamina, but the Leger will be a stern test.
Tom Marquand, also for Aidan O’Brien, rides the only filly in the field, a horse that won the Listed Cheshire Oaks but has struggled in Group company, including unplaced runs in the Epsom and Curragh Oaks. She faded in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood over a mile and a half, yet showed improvement in the Give Thanks Stakes at Cork. She carries a personal name connection for the writer, adding an emotional stake.
In summary, Enceladus arrives on a wave of form for Joseph O’Brien, who has enjoyed a superb season. A narrow victory could make him the first European Classic winner for the Niarchos family since Study Of Man’s French Derby triumph in 2018, and it would be a second Classic for jockey Billy Loughnane. Christmas Day remains a consistent performer and, despite a slightly lacklustre York prep, could still be bested by Pierre Bonnard, especially given both are sired by the stamina‑influencing Camelot. The race promises a dominant display from the O’Brien stable, with Highwayman expected to slot into a solid fourth place.