O'Brien launches Leger assault
Septimus is 4-1 favourite with sponsors Ladbrokes to give Aidan O’Brien a fourth St Leger success in the last six years.
The Sadler’s Wells colt is one of a 17-strong team for the Ballydoyle trainer among a list of 52 entries for the world’s oldest Classic on September 9 that will be run at York while Doncaster undergoes major redevelopment.
Septimus is a course winner having landed the Dante Stakes over an extended mile and a quarter in May after which he could only finish 12th in the Vodafone Derby.
Other O’Brien horses prominent in the ante-post market include 10-1 shots Puerto Rico, Mountain and 14-1 chance Fire And Rain as he seeks to add to his other Leger victors, Milan (2001), Brian Boru (2003) and Scorpion (2005),
Michael Stoute will be hoping Papal Bull will give him that elusive first Leger victory.
The Newmarket trainer has tried many times with high-profile performers such as Shergar, Hellenic and Quiff but has so far failed to add the Leger that would give him the full set of Classic triumphs.
Papal Bull looked an ideal Leger type when winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and is 6-1 second favourite.
Stoute’s other entries are Ask, Book Of Music and the filly Scottish Stage.
Godolphin, with four Leger wins through Classic Cliché (1995), Nedawi (1998), Mutafaweq (1999) and Rule Of Law (2004), have five entries. They are: Ashaawes, Emirates Skyline, Extreme Measures, Priors Hill and Rampallion.
Other interesting entries include Derby hero Sir Percy, trained by Marcus Tregoning, and Darsi, winner of the French equivalent. The latter, from Alain de Royer-Dupre’s stable, is the sole French entry.
As well as sponsoring the Leger, which is worth a record £475,000 (€686,000) this year, Ladbrokes also sponsor the main trial for the race, the £135,000 (€195,000) Great Voltigeur Stakes. The Group Two contest is also run at York, over a mile and a half on August 22.
Ladbrokes St Leger, sponsors bet: 4-1 Septimus, 6-1 Papal Bull, 10-1 Linas Selection, Mountain, Puerto Rico, 12-1 Petrovich, Soapy Danger, 14-1 Darsi, Fire And Rain, Scottish Stage, Sixties Icon, 16-1 Galient, Red Rocks, 20-1 Art Deco, Ask, Galileo Galilei, Mont Etoile, 25-1 Imperial Star, Rampallion, 33-1 bar.
