Rewilding new St Leger favourite after Great Voltigeur win
Rewilding became the new market leader for the St Leger after a dominant trial victory at York.
Nine of the 10 runners in the Group Two sportingbet.com Great Voltigeur Stakes hold entries for the St Leger but some of them may not be taking up that option after this.
Harris Tweed, who was running in this race having not made the cut for the Ebor Handicap later in the meeting, set a tempo that ensured it would be a proper pace for a St Leger trial, but Rewilding made it all look very easy. As the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Midas Touch and Joshua Tree challenged the leader, neither could live with Rewilding.
Frankie Dettori was content to sit off the early speed, despite being the best end of 10 lengths off the pace at halfway. Rewilding had not looked completely at ease when he won at Goodwood in May or when he was placed in the Derby but the flat terrain of the Knavesmire allowed him to use his stride to full extent once the field were in the long home straight.
Although Joshua Tree momentarily looked capable of matching the winner as they came down centre track he was only flattering to deceive as the Goldolphin colt pulled four lengths clear from Midas Touch to suggest that the extra two-and-a-half furlongs of the final Classic of the season should not put too much of a strain on his stamina.
Godolphin have won the St Leger five times previously, all trained by Saeed bin Suroor, but it is Mahmood Al Zarooni, who was added to the team’s trainers’ roster in March, who trains this colt who was brought over from André Fabre in the spring.
Rewilding had been aimed specifically for the St Leger after finishing third to Workforce in the Derby and Dettori was in bullish mood. “It was a tremendous race, they went a very strong gallop and the time was good. As usual he took a bit of time to warm up but, from four out, there was only one winner.
“I just tried to keep it smooth, win with a nice margin and I was very, very pleased. All along we said he’d be a perfect Leger horse and this is the best trial so we can go there with plenty of confidence. He’s calm, the trip's no problem.”
If the winning jockey was confident the man behind the placed runners was more circumspect with O’Brien saying that “we’re not discounting anything yet.”
Godolphin's racing manager, Simon Crisford, added: “Watching the race, there was only one winner. He was left a little bit undercooked coming here today because he had a hard run in the Derby. The course at Epsom didn’t suit him but York has been much more to his liking and he has won doing handsprings.
“The St Leger is the main target and it will be a great race for him to compete in. It’s a Classic and we have been very lucky in the race.
“Rewilding is tailor made for the St Leger and we will think about dropping him back to a mile and half or even a mile and a quarter next year. He has got enough speed to race over a shorter distance in a truly run race.
“He is a very raw immature horse and will make a better four-year-old. Looking at him in the paddock after a long lay off, he doesn’t hold his condition as well as we would like because he is a baby. But he has certainly got loads of talent.”
While many of the major prizes at the Ebor meeting might be heading out of the county, local triumphs are treasured at this meetings and Tim Easterby got the three ridings off to a flying start with Hamish McGonagall in the Symphony Group Handicap. The yard has been in flying form this summer and stable jockey David Allan has played his part in that but it is former jump jockey Russ Garrity who comes in for much of the credit for the way that the horse has become more reliable this season.
Hamish McGonagall, who finished second in this race last season, is proving something of a course specialist having won three times from nine starts at York. “It’s fantastic - this horse loves the course,” Allan said. “We get on well at the track but at home it’s more Russ Garrity who rides him, because he’s a bit keen. It’s probably him who’s kept in form for this long because he’s been keeping him relaxed and given him the chance to save it for the track.”
Yorkshire claimed a second winner later on the card when Kevin Ryan’s Puddle Duck won the Sportingbet.com Nursery.
http://www.senore.com/Rip-Van-Winkle-wins-Juddmonte-International-Stakes-a22115
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