The world’s oldest Classic takes place at Doncaster on Saturday [Sept 16], when King Charles III and Queen Camilla have legitimate chances of the first royal Classic winner for nearly half a century
GB: Trainer William Haggas believes that Royal Ascot winner Desert Hero will carry the hopes of the wider racing world in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger, in which he bids to become the first Royal Classic winner since Dunfermline won the same race 46 years ago.
A coronation year winner for King Charles and Queen Camilla in Britian’s oldest Classic would surely have huge resonance following such a long hiatus, and with Desert Hero currently at around half of Dunfermline’s odds it is a very realistic possibility.
Desert Hero’s trainer has played down the pressure that many will suspect he will be feeling as he puts the finishing touches to the preparation of the colt, who was bred by the late Queen and has already provided her successor with a Royal Ascot win in the King George V Handicap.
However, he does not underestimate the good that it might do the sport should he win. “I think it would mean the world to everyone in our industry,” said Haggas, who can recall only two previous runners in the St Leger.
“We have been fortunate for so long to have such stoic royal patronage, and anything that can enhance that will be good,” the trainer added, speaking to the British Champions Series media team.
“From that point of view I think ‘Racing plc’ will be hoping Desert Hero goes very well and, as much as we all want to win, I think even connections of the other runners would enjoy a victory for the King and the Queen.”
Haggas, whose first Royal runner was dual winner Purple Spectrum ten years ago, added: “Royal Ascot was terrific because they made a great effort to come every day.
“We were very fortunate to be invited to lunch on the Wednesday and the atmosphere was terrific. Each day it got bigger and better, and the welcome that they received when the horse won on the Thursday would have touched anyone.
Far from feeling the pressure, Haggas seems to be enjoying the attention the Royal runner is bringing. “Last year we had a lot of publicity through Baaeed and this year we haven’t had as much, so it’s nice to be back in the papers,” he suggested.
“If people want to talk to you it makes you appreciate that you must have some nice horses.”
Carlton House, favourite when third in the 2011 Derby for Sir Michael Stoute, was the last royal runner to reach the places in a Classic. Haggas acknowledges that Desert Hero needs to improve again if he is to do better than that but he is quietly optimistic.
He has talked this week about the improvement the colt has made since failing to thrive through the winter and spring, suggesting there might be more still to come.
“Desert Hero is a very straightforward horse,” he said. “He won on soft ground at Goodwood and on faster ground at Ascot, so I don’t think the ground is a worry. Soft ground will put more emphasis on stamina, but if he relaxes he should stay.”
Desert Hero had to work his way to the front from an unpromising position at Royal Ascot, and even in a small field in Goodwood’s Gordon Stakes he had to wait for a gap, but each time he showed a terrific attitude.
“At Ascot they went so hard that the ones at the back of the field were bound to capitalise at some point, and we could see Desert Hero coming from some way out,” said Haggas. “Then at Goodwood, Tom {Marquand] had a lot of horse under him at the two-furlong marker, and Desert Hero picked up well to beat Chesspiece, which was great.”
Speculation that Frankie Dettori might switch from ante-post favourite Gregory to stablemate Arrest for his final ride in the St Leger was confirmed at Thursday’s 48-hour declaration stage.
Kieran Shoemark has come in for the ride on Wathnan Racing’s Gregory, who looked a strong stayer when winning the Queen’s Vase and appeared to please connections when plugging on for third after setting too fast a pace in the Great Voltigeur at York last month. However, he is unproven on the prevailing soft ground, whereas it has enhanced Arrest’s prospects considerably.
The Juddmonte-owned colt was impressive on soft ground in the Chester Vase and returned to form under similar conditions when beating older horses in Newbury’s Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
He was nowhere near so effective in between on fast ground in the Derby, where he started favourite, or at Royal Ascot. Dettori gained his sixth and most recent St Leger win in the same colours four years ago on Logician, who was John Gosden’s fifth winner of the race.
Gosden, who now holds his licence jointly with son Thady, also saddles a third realistic candidate. The supplemented Melrose Handicap winner Middle Earth is improving fast and his owners Qatar Racing won with Simple Verse in 2015. He will be ridden by Oisin Murphy.
Aidan O’Brien has won the St Leger six times, most recently with Kew Gardens five years ago. He saddles a team of four, among whom the stand-out candidate is Continuous, who came from well off the pace to win a very fast-run Voltigeur by nearly four lengths, with Gregory a length further back.
Continuous is joined by Tower of London, who was beaten only a head by the Voltigeur runner-up in Newmarket’s Bahrain Trophy, Alexandroupolis, a one-time Derby hope who was down the field in Listed company last time, and Denmark, who was third in a handicap at Haydock last weekend.
Desert Hero’s Goodwood rival Chesspiece, trained by Simon & Ed Crisford, is the only other colt among the nine declared runners who is not trained by O’Brien or the Gosdens.
After changing ownership before his third in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, Chesspiece was the stable’s first runner for Godolphin, with whom Simon Crisford was associated with more than 200 G1 winners as their public face for more than 22 years. A first Classic victory, carrying his former boss’s silks, would therefore be especially sweet.
Crisford, who with his son enjoyed a first G1 win as a trainer last month through Vandeek in the Prix Morny, does not underestimate the improvement that is needed but reported Chesspiece in “great shape”.
He said: “He goes into the race in really good form and the recent rain should play to his strengths. He’s been stepping up the ladder slowly but surely all year, and a strong-run mile and six will help him too.
“He’s got a long way to go to prove himself at this level and so he’s got to keep improving, but all of the attributes are there to enable him to do so. He's got the frame, the physique, the temperament and the constitution, and next year he should make a fine Cup horse.”
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