The Leger

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At the Start
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May 2, 2003
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Ladbrokes Prices (Masterofthehorse and Golden Sword not quoted).

Father Time 6/1
Age Of Aquarius 6/1
Alwaary 7/1
Kite Wood 8/1
Harbinger 8/1
Mourayan 10/1
Changingoftheguard 14/1
Flying Cloud 16/1
20/1 Bar

Alwaary looks to have set a decent standard in the King George, still open to lots of improvement and likely to take in York ahead of the Leger. My worry would be his breeding for 14 furlongs....sure to get it?

Of the Ballydoyle horses I think Age Of Aquarius and Changingoftheguard (similar profile to Honolulu but looks more straight forward) are their two only realistic shots in the race with the likes of Black Bear Island, Yankee Doodle and Golden Sword not good enough. One that does interest me at a big price is their Dixie Music - but he has not been seen since his maiden win and is either injured or used as a lead horse at home both of which are obvious negatives.

Mourayan should relish the step up to 1m6f and would appreciate any ease in the ground while Harbinger has been confirmed for the Gordon Richard Stakes and could be favourite for this if he impresses.
 
Changingoftheguard looks progressive and also seems to have a turn of foot. I'd expect that he'll go for the Ebor first.

I'd been wondering what had happened to Dixie Music too, and also Aristocrat who impressed me last year in the Eyrefield and hasn't been seen out since winning his maiden at Wexford in May.
 
By Ashley Iveson, Press Association Sport

Connections of Alwaary have all but ruled out a tilt at the Ladbrokes St Leger - despite the colt running a fantastic race in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.
Having finished a luckless second in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket on his penultimate start, the three-year-old confirmed the promise of that effort when finishing fourth in Saturday's Ascot showpiece.
Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: "He ran a fabulous race and we're delighted with him. He keeps progressing, and he was beaten by three top-class horses on the day.
"He was running on at the end and he's finished just over two lengths ahead of the horse that was second in the Irish Derby (Golden Sword) so it shows that he's right up there with the best of the three-year-old colts.
"I'm sure he'll continue to progress, both physically and mentally, and hopefully he is a very nice horse next year.
"Going forward, the Great Voltigeur at York is an obvious race but let's just see how he comes out of Ascot first.
"We don't want to be too hard on him this year as hopefully we'll have him for the long run.
"I very much doubt Sheikh Hamdan will want the horse to run in the St Leger.
"I think now he's proving himself as a potentially top-class mile-and-a-half-horse, and I'm sure we'll stick to that."
 
How does Stoute do it all the time? I am taking 4-1 at Stan James for the Ledger, this horse is one of the best 3yos in England now in fact I'd say top four.
 
chroniclandlord said:
Johnston must get awful frustrated by this happening again and again with so many horses.
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I asked him that when I saw up there at the start of the season and he made it quite clear that it wasn't an issue for him. The yard are compensated when these horses 'graduate' to Godolphin and Johnston made it clear that the financial stability of having the involvement of the Sheikhs makes up for the current situation.
 
davidjohnson said:
I asked him that when I saw up there at the start of the season and he made it quite clear that it wasn't an issue for him. The yard are compensated when these horses 'graduate' to Godolphin and Johnston made it clear that the financial stability of having the involvement of the Sheikhs makes up for the current situation.
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I could understand that thinking, the Maktoum family must have a lot horses stabled with him.
 
I haven't got a Horses In Training to hand, but I wouldn't be surprised if his string was 80/85% Maktoum controlled.
 
davidjohnson said:
I haven't got a Horses In Training to hand, but I wouldn't be surprised if his string was 80/85% Maktoum controlled.
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Indeed so. A high proportion among his 2-3 year olds. Much less so thereafter. Of his current roster of 114 2yos, for example, some 66 are Maktoum owned.
 
Harbinger has the beating of Kite Wood on a line through Tactic. I also think the Stoute horse is more progressive. He's a big horse and Doncaster will suit him more than Chester and Goodwood. I'd rather he wasn't in the Voltigeur though.
 
Euronymous - Thats assuming that the Gordon Stakes is a reliable piece of form, given the crawl it was run at I'd be concerned about it's strength. Equally it also makes the assumption that Kite Wood ran to only the same level yesterday as what he did in the Bahrain Trophy, again I'd be concerned as to whether that is the case.

Here's hoping that when Alwaary pulls 5l clear with Harbinger on Tuesday that Gosden/Sheikh Hamdan have a change of heart and let Alwaary win his classic.
 
davidjohnson said:
Here's hoping that when Alwaary pulls 5l clear with Harbinger on Tuesday that Gosden/Sheikh Hamdan have a change of heart and let Alwaary win his classic.
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I think that would have him aiming for the Arc!!! He needs to win by a shorthead after being ridden along from sometime out and just getting up on the line.
 
davidjohnson said:
Euronymous - Thats assuming that the Gordon Stakes is a reliable piece of form, given the crawl it was run at I'd be concerned about it's strength.
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Fair point, but i'd argue that the conditions of that race and how it was run were against Stoute's horse as much as anything else and that a long straight will really bring about a ton of improvement. I think he has far more upside to him than a horse like Kite Wood who has had two races handed to him on a plate. He's the Silver Frost of the staying division.
 
The St Leger picture looks a bit different now, with Kite Wood and Age Of Aquarius dominating betting and the possibility of Monitor Closely being supplemented.

I've not looked at the race in detail yet. What do we think now?
 
SteveM said:
I've not looked at the race in detail yet. What do we think now?
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My bet on Harbinger isn't looking very healthy. I'm against the Godolphin animal though and hope he's short on the day. I think i'd take Mourayan if the ground was on the soft side.
 
Looking like a very ropey renewal compared with last year's version - Sariska should be running but won't . I cannot see her troubling Stacelita on good ground.

Wish STS was taking on this bunch .
 
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