Vinnie enters history books with hat-trick
Vinnie Roe made history by becoming the first horse to win the Irish Field St Leger for a third time at the Curragh today.
The five-year-old, trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Pat Smullen, headed the pacemaking Gamut over a furlong out and galloped on strongly to the line in the Group One contest.
Sir Michael Stoute’s raider kept on gamely to pip Powerscourt for second, with Bollin Eric a close fourth.
Kieren Fallon sent Gamut to the front from the start, but Powerscourt and Vinnie Roe were always hot on his heels, while Kevin Darley had them all in his sights settled in fifth of the six runners.
Vinnie Roe, the 2-1 second favourite, ranged alongside Gamut two furlongs out and then had to be ridden out by Smullen to hold the gallant runner-up by a length.
The three-year-old Powerscourt stayed on well but could not quite get to the first two.
Bollin Eric, the 15-8 favourite and winner of last year’s St Leger at Doncaster, could only stay on at one pace but was not beaten far in fourth.
Weld, whose Maharib finished fourth in the Seabiscuit St Leger at Doncaster minutes later, said of the winner: “It was one of his easier performances.
“He is so laid-back, but he settled the issue very quickly, which is what impressed me.
“He is very adaptable ground-wise and we will definitely consider the Arc. It’s very much in our mind.
“I’m sure there’s more to come from this horse as he has been working since he came back with more speed than ever.
“I felt all along this would be his year.”
Weld also indicated the winner might go into quarantine for the Melbourne Cup.
Smullen said: “He quickened up like the real good horse I always thought he was.
“He deserves to be in the history books and he’s all heart and guts.
“When you ride a horse that wants to win so much, how can you lose?”
Fallon said of Gamut: “He ran a great race on ground that might be a little quick for him.”
Darley said after the Tim Easterby-trained Bollin Eric’s disappointing run: “There was no real pace.”
