An open looking Pertemps St Leger (3.35pm) at Doncaster on Saturday with three protagonists very close in the betting at the top of the market and preference goes to the William Muir-trained Pyledriver (5/2) who has been a revelation this season.
When this fellow struck in a Listed heat at Haydock last year at a big price, few in the crowd would have expected him to be vying for favouritism in a Classic the following term, but to be fair to his canny trainer, he always maintained that this horse would win the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
That didn’t happen, but William will have been happy enough when his charge belied odds of 18-1 to land the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and then a line can be put through his effort in the Derby as he had zero chance after being hampered after three furlongs.
The Harbour Watch colt made amends in no uncertain terms when going in again at double figure odds on his last start in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York’s Ebor Meeting last month, when he comfortably disposed of a high-class field by three and a half lengths.
The Voltigeur is probably considered ‘the trial’ for the Leger and while it’s possible he might not stay the additional two and a half furlongs, he certainly didn’t seem to be stopping at the end on the Knavesmire and he travels to Town Moor with every chance of providing Muir, one of the great enthusiasts of the game, with a first Classic success.
A lovely card at ‘Donny’ also features the Group 2 Champagne Stakes (1.50pm) and Chindit (9/5) provides Richard Hannon Junior a great shout of equalling his ‘old man’ Senior’s three victories in this important two-year-old event.
The selection was last seen when readily scooping a Listed race at Ascot in July and the runner-up Cobh has since won at the same level, third-placed Naval Crown hacked up in one of the most valuable maidens of the season and Saint Lawrence, fourth, has also gone on to Listed glory.
So, the form is working out beautifully and he is already a course and distance scorer. Victory here would put him in the frame for a tilt at Britain’s principle juvenile race the Dewhurst Stakes.
Plenty of Saturdays get billed as ‘Super Saturday’ but that looks a genuine description this time with two top-class races from Ireland also on ITV, including the Irish Champion Stakes (4.10pm) at Leopardstown which can go the way of arguably the world’s best horse Ghaiyyath (4/7).
The fancy is officially rated at least 6lb ahead of all five rivals and his nearest challenger according to the betting, Japan, was no match for him last time they met in the Eclipse when winner Ghaiyyath powered home up the Esher slope with Japan two and a half lengths adrift.
The selection also beat champion trainer Aidan O’Brien’s other major contender Magical three lengths last time in the Juddmonte and Leopardstown should suit his front-running.
