Talent’s Leger bid in balance
TRAINER Ralph Beckett fears conditions f or Saturday’s Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster may be turning too quick for his Investec Oaks winner Talent.
While Beckett is confident the daughter of New Approach has the stamina for the mile-and three quarter Classic, he is going to have to sweat over her participation.
Talent, who had a racecourse workout at Kempton on Friday, has not run since finishing last in the Irish Oaks at The Curragh on July 20 when both fast ground and a slow early pace were presented as mitigating circumstances.
A fast surface meant Talent was pulled out of last month’s Yorkshire Oaks.
Beckett said: ‘At the moment we are heading for the Leger. My concern is ground. If it dries out, we might have to think again.
‘They had a good drop on Friday and Saturday which has helped but they are not forecast much rain. We’ll need a bit more or they will have to put plenty of water on.’
Beckett’s 2008 Oaks heroine Look Here went directly to the Leger from her Epsom triumph in June before finishing third to Conduit.
Beckett feels Talent, a 141 shot who’ll be a first Leger ride for stable jockey Jim Crowley, should be better equipped for the stamina test.
The trainer added: ‘On the dam’s side of Look Here’s pedigree, most of them didn’t get more than a mile and a quarter. Talent has stamina on both sides of her pedigree and the further you go back, the stronger stayers they are.’
Beckett’s hope that the track, which is currently good to firm in places, will water might be dashed by clerk of the course Roderick Duncan, who is keen to ‘let nature take its course’.
He added: ‘ There could be showers on Monday and then it is a predominantly dry forecast. But we are not going to get high daytime temperatures so I don’t think it will dry out rapidly.’
User Friendly (1992) was the last filly to win the Leger. The most recent Oaks winner to try was Snow Fairy, who finished fourth to Arctic Cosmos in 2010.
Filly form received a boost when Yorkshire Oaks winner The Fugue landed the Irish Champion Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday.
The John Gosden-trained filly, who also has the Breeders’ Cup on her agenda, is now an 81 shot for next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Beckett’s Yorkshire Oaks third Secret Gesture is being aimed at the Prix de l’Opera also on Arc weekend. UNIVERSAL, t he t op money earner in the Mark Johnston stable this season and a threetime winner, has fractured a pastern while being prepared for Saturday’s Irish St Leger.
It is hoped that his racing career can still be salvaged.