The United States is marking its 250th birthday, and at the same time the world’s oldest Classic race, the St Leger, is celebrating another milestone. Very few sporting contests can boast such longevity.
As the field lines up for Saturday’s Betfred St Leger, the big question is which horse will claim the honor. First, it is encouraging to see the Derby champion Christmas Day entered.
Achieving the double is a rare feat; even the legendary Shergar could manage only a fourth‑place finish in the Leger, and Camelot fell just short of a Triple Crown a few years ago. The Leger is just a furlong and a half shy of two miles, so a winner needs a blend of speed and staying power. The last four horses to back up a Derby win at the Leger were Never Say Die, St Paddy, Nijinsky and Reference Point, so Christmas Day will have a tough benchmark to meet. His stablemate Pierre Bonnard is a close rival, and Aidan O'Brien’s bid for a tenth Leger could be challenged by his own son, Joseph O'Brien, who trains the favourite Enceladus.
(Jockey: Sean Levy; Trainer: Aidan O'Brien) Action is another intriguing name. He is a close relative of last year’s Derby winner Lambourn and performed admirably as a two‑year‑old, finishing third in the Royal Lodge Stakes and then second in the Group 1 Futurity. This season he improved from a fourth in the Sandown Classic Trial to a respectable placing behind Item in the Dante at York.
Unfortunately, he ran too freely in the Derby while wearing cheekpieces for the first time, and since then he has been used as a pacemaker in the Irish Derby, the King George, and the Juddmonte. In the last of those races he failed to get a clean start and was left well behind the leaders, casting doubt on his stamina for the longer Leger distance.
He could benefit from a firm grip on his powerful shoulders. (Trainer: Richard Hannon) Alderman attracted attention after a solid fifth‑place finish in the Derby, only a stride or two from the fourth‑place horse. He was two and a half lengths ahead of Rebel Rocker, with Pierre Bonnard, Ancient Egypt and Item trailing. However, he could not build on that effort in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, finishing last of five on firm ground.
He remains a five‑race maiden, albeit a talented one, and any rain this week that softens the turf could help him, though he still faces a steep climb in the Leger. (Trainer: Aidan O'Brien) Reference Point is the last horse to win both the Derby and the St Leger, a double not achieved since 1987. Christmas Day appears to have a strong chance of matching that feat, especially if the Town Moor sees some rain. His Derby victory on soft ground was convincing, beating the Arc‑target Maltese Cross by almost three lengths – arguably the best form on offer.
Although he was beaten in the Irish Derby, he fought back to finish just behind Benvenuto Cellini and a neck ahead of Pierre Bonnard. The same form pattern repeated in the Great Voltigeur, where Pierre Bonnard reversed the placings after receiving five pounds from the Derby winner. Christmas Day has been a model of consistency all season and seems capable of staying the distance, even if he does not improve further. (Trainer: Joseph O'Brien) Enceladus is a big, long‑striding colt who remains unbeaten as a three‑year‑old and appears to improve with each run.
His King George V Handicap win at Royal Ascot has been praised, and he followed it up with a Group 3 Gordon Stakes triumph at Goodwood. He showed a keen turn of foot approaching the final furlong, although he tends to drift right – a habit that may have prompted the use of cheekpieces today. It has been six years since Joseph O'Brien won his first Leger with Galileo Chrome, and given the strength of this season’s crop, he is optimistic that his son of Sea The Stars can add another classic to the family record. Enceladus also benefits from a half‑brother who excelled over a mile and six furlongs, and he arrives fresher than most, suggesting room for improvement.
Unfortunately, jockey Billy Loughnane will be riding the Niarchos silks after Dylan Brown McMonagle’s injury at Bellewstown. (Trainer: Andrew Balding) Andrew Balding’s other hope, a colt who broke his maiden at Chester’s Boodles May Festival, was fancied in the Queen’s Vase but could manage only sixth behind Limestone.
A decent second in the Bahrain Trophy hinted at progress, but a heavy defeat in the Great Voltigeur raised concerns. Even with newly fitted cheekpieces, it will be difficult for him to reverse that form in the Leger.
(Trainer: Karl Burke) Clifford Lee, another relatively unexposed runner, has won two of his four starts, including a narrow victory over Del Maro in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood. However, his performance 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, so Clifford needs to settle and develop further to emulate that stamina.
(Trainer: Andrew Balding) David Probert has recorded a solitary win from six starts, but he is improving steadily. His lone victory came over a mile and a half in July, followed by a clear second in a valuable Goodwood handicap. As the lowest‑rated horse in the field, he faces a steep challenge, but recent backing suggests confidence that he could be the first string from a top stable in a strong campaign.
(Trainer: Joseph O'Brien) Saffie Osborne will ride Enceladus, who is arguably the most intriguing contender. After modest early outings over six‑furlong to mile trips, the colt produced a striking performance at Naas over a mile, then won impressively over a mile and a half at Killarney, and finally captured the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown at 22‑1 odds, finishing strongly with his characteristic high head carriage. He has proven he can stay the distance and may still have untapped ability, offering a genuine chance to make history with Osborne aboard. Wayne Lordan, the most experienced runner, showed his Leger‑type stamina at two by winning the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 1 Criterium de Saint‑Cloud over a mile and a quarter.
After a mixed first half of the season, including a seventh‑place finish in the Derby, he improved to third in the Irish Derby, a neck behind Christmas Day, and then reversed the form in the Great Voltigeur, giving Maltese Cross a run for his money. His dam’s half‑sister placed third in the Park Hill, indicating stamina in his pedigree, and he should stay the trip. Jason Watson rides a useful, relatively unexposed colt who finished sixth in the Derby and ran similarly in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury.
His dam’s side suggests stamina, but the Leger will be a tough test for him. Tom Marquand is aboard the only filly, Amelia Earhart, who won the Listed Cheshire Oaks but has struggled in Group company, including the Epsom and Curragh Oaks.
She faded in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood over a mile and a half but showed improvement in the Give Thanks Stakes at Cork. She needs to find extra gear, and the race holds personal significance for the writer, as the filly is named after a heroine related to his American wife.
Overall, Enceladus arrives on a wave of form for Joseph O'Brien, who has enjoyed an outstanding season. A narrow win could make him the first European Classic victor 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, though Pierre Bonnard may still prove the stronger of the two Camelot‑sired colts over the extended distance. Highwayman also looks capable of securing a place, and the O’Brien dynasty appears poised to dominate the race.