St Leger Entries: Westover and Emily Upjohn star in 27 entries received for Doncaster Classic
Ralph Beckett's Westover and John & Thady Gosden's Emily Upjohn are two of the standout names featured amongst 27 entries for the 2022 Cazoo St Leger, which takes place at Doncaster on September 10. With both star three-year-olds set for a hugely anticipated clash in the King George at Ascot this weekend, the pair of them are two eye-catching three-year-olds in the latest round of St Leger runners, and our man Steve Chambers takes a look at those class acts that could run on Town Moore in just over six weeks...
An eye-catching third in the Derby at Epsom earlier in the season, Westover showed his class when annihilating a decent field in the Irish Derby at the Curragh, and that victory saw him propel to the head of the St Leger betting, and he's currently the 5/2 favourite for what is set to be a mouth-watering final Classic. Showing a fine turn of pace, the Beckett-trained raider will hope a win in the King George can set him up for another crack at Classic glory, and if he does take his chance then he's sure to be a tough nut to crack.
Unbeaten heading into the Oaks at Epsom and sent off a short-priced favourite for the fillies' Classic, Emily Upjohn was just touched off by Tuesday in the Group 1 feature, as a tardy start hindered her chances dramatically, and the daughter of Sea The Stars is trading as a 6/1 second favourite, as she could be another that steps up in trip. She will also line up in the King George at Ascot, and a mouth-watering clash with Westover and the Gosden-trained filly has shaped like she could be a real star, and she would be a fascinating runner in the Leger in September.
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Aidan O'Brien has trained three of the last nine winners of the St Leger and the master of Ballydoyle has nine of the 27 horses entered for the race, and the spearhead for team O'Brien could be Changingoftheguard, who could only finish fifth in the Derby at Epsom, but bounced back to top form with a fine victory in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Other notable entries from the O'Brien team include Aikhal, who bounced back from a poor effort in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot by winning a Group 3 at the Curragh, and that raider is a 10/1 chance, while United Nations and Point Lonsdale also catch the eye.
Charlie Appleby's New London suffered a huge defeat at the hands of Changingoftheguard in the Chester Vase earlier in the season, but the Godolphin charge rocketed back into the limelight with an impressive handicap success at Newmarket a couple of weeks ago, and that Godolphin raider is an interesting 10/1 chance for the Leger, while Eldar Eldarov showed when winning at Royal Ascot that he's a class act, but he failed to fire in France last time out, so he needs to recapture his best form for Roger Varian here.
Second behind Changingoftheguard in the King Edward VII Stakes, Grand Alliance could take his chance for Charlie Fellowes and adds more depth to a race that could also see the likes of Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal and the recent Listed Hamilton Park winner West Wind Blows take their chance in what should be a fabulous final Classic of the season.