Simple Verse books in for Leger battle
CONNECTIONS of English St Leger first-pastthe-post Simple Verse will have to wait a week at least before knowing whether Saturday’s decision of the Doncaster stewards to promote Bondi Beach instead will be upheld.
The British Horseracing Authority originally fixed the appeal hearing for Thursday but delayed the process due to issues with the various legal representatives now involved.
While that supplemented filly’s owners Qatar Racing, trainer Ralph Beckett and jockey Andrea Atzeni still can entertain hopes of regaining the final English Classic, there’s no such process considered for the Free Eagle team after that colt’s torrid time in the closing stages of the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes later that afternoon.
Basically skittled from what was building towards a gripping finish by front-running favourite Golden Horn’s sudden dive to their right inside the final furlong, that scenario at Leopardstown greatly compromised any chance of Dermot Weld’s charge claiming one of the key European races of the year.
Despite the continuing absence of Gleneagles, we were seemingly about to witness a proper three-way go between the market principals when Golden Horn carried his nearest pursuer way off line and paved the way for Found to split the pair and effectively materially influence the stewards’ deliberations.
Rather than being faced with the prospect of promoting Free Eagle at Golden Horn’s expense, Found’s intervention gave the acting panel a relatively straightforward task of determining whether the favourite would have won in any event and, whether you agree or not, a prompt decision was agreed and announced.
While Golden Horn would surely have ended up being demoted to third behind Free Eagle in either France or America, the rules here and in England allow stewards more flexibility even though the inherent subjective element throw up inconsistencies and make for an anxious wait for punters and connections alike.
The wisdom of Solomon prevailed in my opinion at both courses, with the main difference being the proceedings after the Ladbrokes St Leger were televised live on Channel 4 and revealed a masterclass in pertinent observation on the part of Bondi Beach’s rider Colm O’Donoghue (below).
The experience gained on and off the track during his many overseas engagements on behalf of Aidan O’Brien served the Cork jockey well as he deftly highlighted instances in the Classic’s closing stages from which his mount suffered by becoming unbalanced.
That latest successful foray to Doncaster by the Ballydoyle outfit precipitated a runaway victory for stable companion Order Of St George in the Irish equivalent on the Curragh to which he had been rerouted after being declared initially along with Bondi Beach and Fields Of Athenry for the Ladbrokes promotion.
The prospect of greater ease at home than the Galileo colt was likely to get in Doncaster was the clincher for his master trainer and give son Joseph a first Irish Leger success on their way now to a crack at the two-mile Long Distance Cup in Ascot next month. What’s more Order Of St George goes d o wn in the record books also as the 50th individual scorer at Group 1 level for Coolmore’s most prized current stallion Galileo.