Yeats and Septimus give O’Brien strong hand in St Leger
O’Brien has bagged 18 wins at the highest level this term and he looks to have a strong hand with the triple Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats and last year’s Doncaster Cup hero Septimus.
The Ballydoyle trainer has indicated Septimus would be his preferred runner but he also has Adored, Honolulu, Mikhail Fokine, New Zealand and William Hogarth to choose from.
Mores Wells ran a cracker to finish third to New Approach in the Irish Champion Stakes on Sunday and he is one of two possibles for Kevin Prendergast along with Red Moloney.
Ex-O’Brien runner Acapulco could have his first start for Edward O’Grady while fellow jumps trainer John Queally has Al Eile and Noel Meade could send out Arch Rebel.
Michael Jarvis’ Royal And Regal, the Brian Ellison-trained Carte Diamond and Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Yellowstone are the British-trained contingent.
Dermot Weld’s Profound Beauty could put her Melbourne Cup aspirations on the line while Hasanka, Ezima and Savannah complete the possibles.
William Hill can barely envisage defeat for Septimus and they make him their 4-6 favourite with Mores Wells next best at 7-1.
Irish Field St Leger, William Hill bet: 4-6 Septimus, 7-1 Mores Wells, 8-1 Hasanka, 10-1 Honolulu, 12-1 Profound Beauty, 14-1 Royal and regal, 16-1 Yellowstone, 20-1 Ezima, Red Moloney, 25-1 Adored, Arch Rebel, 33-1 bar.
Aidan O’Brien meanwhile has admitted he has doubts about ante-post favourite Frozen Fire’s ability to see out the trip in Saturday’s Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.
The Irish Derby winner will be stepping into the unknown if the tackles the one-mile-six-furlong trip in the final Classic of the season on Town Moor.
He is one of eight possible runners for O’Brien along with Alessandro Volta, Bashkirov, Hindu Kush, King Of Westphalia, New Zealand, Washington Irving and William Hogarth.
Although the Ballydoyle team have yet to firm up their plans, the Leger is certainly looming large on Frozen Fire’s agenda.
O’Brien said: “It is a great race and one of the most prestigious of the season so we are delighted to have horses to run in it every year.
“I am not sure of plans yet as we will have to wait and see what the weather does, but Frozen Fire is a strong possible at the moment.
“Alessandro Volta, Washington Irving, Hindu Kush and Bashkirov are all very strong possibles at the moment too, but they all have work to do.
“We are always concerned about the ground getting extreme.
“Frozen Fire is obviously a very classy horse which he showed when winning the Irish Derby, and we are not sure about the mile and six furlongs but we are hoping.”
Frozen Fire currently heads the sponsor’s market at 9-4 with Ralph Beckett’s Oaks heroine Look Here next best at 4-1 as she makes her return from a long lay-off.
Andrew Balding hit the bar with third-placed Phoenix Reach in 2003 and he sends out German Derby third Top Lock this time.
The Nayef colt was given a break following his Hamburg trip and returned to action with a creditable second behind Centennial in the rescheduled Great Voltigeur at Goodwood last month.
“Top Lock ran in the German Derby and there was a lot of rain before the race to turn the ground soft and that was a concern, but he handled it very well,” said Balding.
“He was third at Royal Ascot behind Campanologist and he ran well that day. We gave him a break after the German Derby, so he needed the run in the Great Voltigeur and I’m hopeful of a good run at the weekend.
“Until he ran in the German Derby I had doubts about him staying a mile and six but the more I see of him, the more confident I am that he will stay.”
Balding knows Top Lock, who is a 12-1 chance with the sponsors, will be lining up in a classy renewal. “It looks a very good race with Ralph’s filly (Look Here) as she looked good at Epsom and watching the Irish Derby winner again, I can appreciate his turn of foot and you have Doctor Fremantle and Conduit as well,” he added.
Sir Michael Stoute could field 33-1 shot Warringah as well as Doctor Fremantle and Conduit as he seeks a first Leger success.
Ladbrokes St Leger, sponsors bet: 9-4 Frozen Fire, 4-1 Look Here, 5-1 Conduit, 6-1 Alessandro Volta, 8-1 Unsung Heroine, 12-1 Doctor Fremantle, Top Lock, 20-1 Washington Irving, 33-1 bar.
