St Leger: Blue Bunting’s lifetime opportunity to make not one but two records!!
Today, when and if Blue Bunting gets to take away the Ladbrokes St Leger, it would be no less than a ‘Triple Crown’ sort of a victory as she intends to add that to her victories in the 1000 Guineas and the Irish Oaks.
If the claim does get across the wire then Godolphin’s Blue Bunting would become the first filly in 19 years to win the Group One St Leger, the final Classic of the British season at Doncaster today.
The last filly who achieved this was User Friendly back in 1992 and Frankie Dettori’s ride, winner of the last time Yorkshire Oaks will this time be joined on the track by two other members from the Godolphin team in Rump and Genius Beast.
Simon Crisford, Godolphin racing manager, said: ‘She gives everything even though she only wins her races by narrow margins. She’s an odd filly to look at – her siblings ate half her tail away".
‘She is not a queen to look at but she is a queen on the track".
Blue Bunting being trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni is no doubt one of the toughest fillies seen in Group Ones in several seasons. She has already been an element of surprise for those she crossed the closest to take away the 1,000 Guineas in May.
"Leading up to the Guineas, we felt then that a longer trip than a mile would suit her much better, but she was brilliant that day on fast ground”.
She prefers ground with some cuts in it and it is believed that she will be comfortable with the ground conditions at Doncaster. Besides the confident jockey, Frankie and the unforgiving speed of Blue Bunting, the deciding factor for the victory also includes the pace with which Sea Moon has been progressing after winning the Great Voltigeur.
Sea Moon might be relatively less experienced even after his three wins out of four runs as he lacks the tough, big race match practice on which Blue Bunting seems to be growing, however Sea Moon does has the edge of the perfect pedigree for the job, being the sibling of 2003 Leger winner Brian Boru.
Michael Owen’s Brown Panther, Richard Hannon's trained Census and Masked Marvel promise competition on the tracks too.
The only thing right now that can qualify for being a little more important than the Leger itself can possibly be the record breaking in not one but two ways by Blue Bunting.
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