St Leger. Click here to bet. <\/p>\n
Last weekend we enjoyed the Derby at Epsom and there were certainly a few fingers burnt with the poor show from Dawn Approach. Who knows what caused him to run so keenly, but it was a total disaster from the point of view of his connections and let's hope it hasn't left its mark. <\/p>\n
Certainly the slow early pace contributed to him unravelling so spectacularly, but for a horse who is normally so relaxed he blew it big time. The good news is if you read the blog last week, hopefully you will have backed Libertarian each way. I really fancied him to run a big race and with the news that he had galloped the 'wrong' way round Middleham's High Moor gallops I was even more confident of a bold show. <\/p>\n
If he had been trained by any of the so called leading players he would have been a much shorter price and I was amazed the Dante winner returned at such a generous SP. He now looks like being supplemented for the Irish Derby where he could meet the winner, Ruler of the World, again. I'd be more interested to see him take the same horse on again in the St Leger though. <\/p>\n
He is currently 5\/1 second favourite behind Ruler of the World at 4s and over the extra couple of furlongs on a more conventional track I'd fancy him to reverse the placings. <\/p>\n
Back Libertarian for the St Leger with Sky Bet <\/p>\n
Onto this weekend now and things are much more low key as we build up to Royal Ascot in a couple of weeks. There's a decent card at Leopardstown on Friday night though with the feature race the Listed Saval Beg Stakes over 1m 6f. Aidan and Joseph O'Brien team up with one of the leading contenders, El Salvador, who like the Derby winner last weekend will wear cheekpieces, although in this horse's case not for the first time. <\/p>\n
He has to put a disappointing run in the Vintage Crop Stakes behind him when he was beaten favourite and it will also be the first time he has encountered fast ground on turf, although he has won twice on the polytrack at Dundalk. He has a habit of sweating up badly before a race, but he has done than a couple of times and it doesn't seem to stop him. <\/p>\n
Dermot Weld had Rite of Passage entered in the race, but he goes straight for the Ascot Gold Cup now in order to avoid a run on fast ground. Weld does have a chance of winning the race though with the filly Pale Mimosa. She hasn't run since October, but the trip should suit and the ground shouldn't be a problem either. <\/p>\n
This will only be her fifth start and there could be much more to come from her. To date she has won two of her four starts including the Listed Galtres Stakes at York over a mile and a half. She's an exciting prospect and I hope she can win this en-route to better things. <\/p>\n
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Alex Hammond: Libertarian's Leger<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" St Leger. Click here to bet Continue reading