Melbourne next as Wicklow Brave springs St Leger shock

Had his career taken a conventional route, Wicklow Brave may well have been spending Champions’ Weekend Sunday limbering up for this week’s Listowel festival, but convention would be far too restrictive for all-conquering, globe-trotting trainer Willie Mullins, who saddled the now seven-year-old, winner of a bumper at the Kerry venue in 2013, to land in the Group 1 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

In anticipation of a Sunday stroll for reigning champ Order Of St George, a paltry four-runner field went to the start for the €400,000 feature, but such numerically challenged contests can turn into tactical affairs, and in such circumstances who better to call upon than evergreen rider Frankie Dettori?

Aboard the 11-1 chance, without a win since a qualified riders’ race at Listowel in May of last year, Dettori set out to make the running, and was allowed to do so unchallenged.