One race each as top trainers share the spoils

THE clash between racing’s superpower trainers ended with a 1-1 draw as Aidan O’Brien matched John Gosden’s Irish Champions Stakes win when landing a sixth William Hill St Leger at Doncaster with Ryan Moore-ridden Kew Gardens beating Gosden-trained favourite Lah Ti Dar.

Twelve months earlier when Capri won the 2017 St Leger, it was one of O’Brien’s 28 Group One wins in a record-breaking season. Kew Gardens’ win was his eighth of 2018 and a first since the same horse won the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on July 14.

It sets up the possibility of an autumn charge. A shot at the Arc could be on the cards for Kew Gardens, who won the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot over a mile and three-quarters and has blossomed throughout the summer. Despite being weak in the betting, his form credentials were more solid than Gosden’s Lah Ti Dar, who had romped home by 10 lengths at York but lacked experience having only had three previous runs. The difference showed on the track. While Lah Ti Dar was being niggled, turning into the home straight, and took a while to become balanced under Frankie Dettori, Kew Gardens, now a veteran of 12 races, was a total pro and his two-and-a-half length advantage was never threatened after hitting the front two furlongs out. O’Brien, who also trained 20-1 St Leger third Southern France, said: ‘He is a horse who has progressed well. We thought he would stay well and he has a lot of class.’ Moore said: ‘He got there very easily. He is a very uncomplicated horse and has a fantastic attitude.’