Irish St Leger: Johnny Murtagh breaks Classic duck in storming fashion
Jockey Ben Coen celebrates as he crosses the line to win the Comer Group International Irish St. Leger on Sonnyboyliston, from second place Twilight Payment. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Johnny Murtagh took himself off the cold list in the best possible fashion, by breaking his duck in Classic races by taking the Comer Group International Irish St Leger with the well-named, teak-tough Sonnyboyliston, ridden to victory by rising star Ben Coen.
A horse who rose more than three stone in the handicap in a successful 2020 period, he resumed his progress this season by winning a listed race and, on his last run before this Classic, he carried 9-08 to victory in the Ebor Handicap at York. But this was another huge step up in grade for the four-year-old, and he and his rider rose to the task with aplomb.
