Notable Speech, Elmalka, Ezeliya, the might City of Troy; four classic season winners, but who will join the class of 2024 in Saturday’s St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Could Jan Brueghel be the surprise package?
A contest first run in 1776, the annual end-of-season trip to Donnie has been won in the past by the likes Nijinsky, Mutafaweq, Conduit and more recently Hurricane Lane.
Having won a seventh Leger last season with Continuous, the bookies are again leaning on Aidan O’Brien, this time with Illinois, but could his half brother upset the odds?
Unbeaten streak
As early racing careers go, there are few that can match Jan Brueghel’s three wins from three, however, in the midst of such a stacked yard, the colt of Galileo feels a little bit of an afterthought.
That could all change on Saturday.
Of the seven-horse field of 3yos, the Irish runner may be the least experienced, but any winner of both the International and Gordon Stakes back to back has to be a contender – not least the latter, a victory of gritty proportions.
Jan Brueghel holds off Bellum Justum to win the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes 🤩#ITVRacing | @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/BfARrMRj5Q
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 1, 2024
Named after the 17th century Flemish painter, Jan Brueghel’s greatest asset looks to be a suiting for all going, with wins on good, soft and faster turf also.
This weekend, the deck should carry no worries; the bigger test will be the huge jump-up in class, going from Group 3 to Group 1, without having a single Group 2 entry under the belt.
That, and the small task of taking on the reigning Queen’s Vase winner, one of the best runners over 12 furlongs.
Eighth challenge
Jan Brueghel will be a strong opponent in Saturday’s St Leger, but Illinois heads the market, given his win at the Royal Meet in June.
Illinois may only have two wins from seven, but his follow up runner-ups in the Grand Prix de Paris and Great Voltigeur could have easily gone differently with a little more fortune.
O’Brien’s third challenger, also a sibling of both Jan Brueghel and Illinois, Grosvenor Square may have drifted in the market, but can mount a stay.
Unlike the latter, the mount of Gavin Ryan travels to Doncaster off a win in the Irish St Leger trial at the Curragh last month, and though with little experience on UK turf, can’t be overlooked.
Got To be in with chance
With the King of Ballydoyle holding three of the top four entries, the most likely to throw a spanner in the Irish works appears to be Hector Crouch and You Got To Me.
Certainly if punter’s money is anything to go by, Ralph Beckett’s hope has been backed from 8/1 earlier in the week now to around 11/2 with Unibet.
His own chances are not without merit with an Irish Oaks in the trophy room, Content with a runners-up place in the Yorkshire Oaks also.
Placing in both Ribblesdale and his prior classic, the Oaks proper, You Got To Me is very comfortable in elite company and will fancy his chances.
Of the remaining trio of entries, Sunway for David Menuisier might be a nice e/w play.
A two-time winner in France, the runner-up of last year’s Champagne Stakes at Doncaster forced Los Angeles’ hand in the Irish Derby this summer, proving his credentials.
Drawn in stall 2, if Sunway gets the rub of the turf, French eyes could be smiling at 13/2 with 10Bet.
The 2024 Betfred St Leger Stakes takes place on Saturday at 3:40pm UK time.
