Illinois (Seamie Heffernan) winning at the Curragh last year© Photo Healy Racing
Aidan O’Brien will fire a three-strong team at the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday as seven were declared for the final Classic of the season.
The Ballydoyle squad is headed by Royal Ascot winner Illinois who subsequently chased home stablemate and Irish Derby winner Los Angeles in the Great Voltigeur at York.
Los Angeles was not declared for Doncaster, as anticipated.
As well as Illinois, O’Brien has two other colts gunning for glory who would be stable stars in most yards. Jan Brueghel is unbeaten in three outings, including in the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last time out.
Also representing Ballydoyle is Grosvenor Square who has slowly come to the boil this season but exploded with a 20-length victory in the Irish St. Leger Trial last time out.
The opposition is headed by David Menuisier’s Sunway the mount of Christophe Soumillon.
He was narrowly denied by Los Angeles in the Irish Derby and then not disgraced against older horses in the King George at Ascot.
Oisin Murphy has been Sunway’s regular rider but misses the British Champions Series event to ride in Canada on Saturday.
“Oisin rang me last week and told me that he had to go to Canada, so that gave me time to look around on what is one of the busiest of weekends,” said Menuisier.
“Luckily Christophe was available, and that’s great news. He’s ridden for me twice this year and they both won, at Clairefontaine and Dieppe.”
Owen Burrows’ Deira Mile was fourth in the Derby to City Of Troy and promises to be suited by stepping up in trip while the real fly in the ointment is the filly, Ralph Beckett’s You Got To Me
She won the Irish Oaks at the Curragh and was supplemented following her brave attempt to follow up in the Yorkshire Oaks.
Sunway and Oisin Murphy © Photo Healy Racing
The Andrew Balding-trained Wild Waves completes the field.
