Tompkins seeking Spread excuse

Mark Tompkins suspects there was more than meets the eye to Ted Spread’s tame Ladbrokes St Leger reverse.

Although the Chester Vase winner ideally requires a rain-softened surface, the Newmarket handler refused to fully attribute the colt’s last-placed finish to the good ground at Doncaster.

Ted Spread showed up well for a long way in the final Classic of the season, but faded four furlongs out – trailing home some 37 lengths in arrears of Arctic Cosmos.

“It was disappointing, but he ran too bad to be true – even with the ground,” insisted Tompkins.

“He’s had an interrupted build-up, but I was very happy with him and thought he’d run very well.

“The ground was probably not soft enough for him but I’m not going to 100% blame that.

“We’re going to run a few tests on him and maybe something will come to light this week.

“Dandino and Rewilding also didn’t show their true form so it might have been a funny race as he just went out like a light.

“If he’s all right, we might give him another run, but my gut instinct after the race was to finish him for the year.”