Brilliant Ladbrokes St Leger In Prospect

Walk In The Park, the Vodafone Derby runner-up, heads the 39 entries for this year´s final British Classic, the #450,000 Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday, September 10, it is revealed today Tuesday, July 12.

The three-year-old Montjeu colt, who is trained by Englishman John Hammond in France, found only Motivator too powerful at Epsom Downs in early June.

Others to have participated in the Derby and whose connections will be hoping that the longer trip at Doncaster will bring out the best in their charges include the David Wachman-trained Fracas (fourth), Hattan (sixth), trained by Clive Brittain, John Dunlop´s Unfurled (seventh), the David Elsworth-trained The Geezer (eighth) and Kong (13th), also handled by Dunlop.

Walk In The Park and Fracas subsequently disappointed in the Budweiser Irish Derby, which may have come too soon for them, but Scorpion and Shalapour, second and third in the Irish Classic, head the ante-post market of the new St Leger sponsors Ladbrokes at 3/1 and 6/1 respectively.

Scorpion, one of seven entries from Ireland´s champion trainer Aidan O´Brien, was beaten only half a length by Hurricane Run at the Curragh, while the John Oxx-trained Shalapour was a further four lengths in arrears, with British raider Brahminy Kite fourth, Fracas seventh and Walk In The Park eighth.

Indigo Cat, another of the O´Brien horses, won the Listed Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot at York last month in good style.

Playful Act, trained by John Gosden who sent out the 1996 St Leger winner Shantou, had a terrific year in 2004, winning three out of four including the Group One Meon Valley Fillies´ Mile at Ascot and Group Two May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

The filly was ante-post favourite for the Vodafone Oaks but had to miss that Classic because she was slow to come to hand this season. Playful Act made a winning seasonal bow in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks at Haydock earlier this month.

Godolphin has a tremendous record in the St Leger, winning the Doncaster Classic four times, courtesy of Classic Cliche (1995), Nedawi (1998), Mutafweq the following term, and Rule Of Law last year.

This season the Maktoum family´s racing entity has six entries including Dubai Surprise, runner-up to Helios Quercus on her last start in a top-class French juvenile contest in 2004, Northern Splendour, also unraced this year and a winner of two of his three starts last season, and Perfectperformance, off the track since October having previously won the Group Two Hackney Empire Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot in September.

Godolphin´s squad is completed by Sunday Symphony, runner-up on his last two starts including in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot at York, where he found just Munsef, a third Dunlop entry, two and a half lengths too good, Where With All, a six-length winner on his last start in 2004, and Queen Of Poland, who was beaten less than three lengths by star French filly Divine Proportions in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc Day last year.

The other powerhouse of European racing, Coolmore, has seven entries trained by O´Brien who has twice been successful in the St Leger with Milan in 2001 and Brian Boru two campaigns later.

Besides Scorpion and Indigo Cat, there is the unraced Avalon, who cost one million guineas as a yearling, and Yehudi, runner-up in a Group One French two-year-old event in November. The Ballydoyle contingent is completed by easy Wexford winner Streets Of Gold, Portsmouth, and Hippodrome.

This year´s Ladbrokes St Leger could also feature Thakafaat, another trained by Dunlop who has sent out three St Leger winners in Moon Madness (1986),Silver Patriarch (1997) and Millenary (2000).

She rewarded connections for supplementing her for the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot at York by winning, while Plea Bargain, Gosden´s second entry, was victorious in the King Edward VII Stakes at the same meeting by three-quarters of a length and the same again from Brahminy Kite and The Geezer.

Brahminy Kite´s trainer, the Yorkshire-based Mark Johnston has also entered Melrose Avenue, winner of the Group Three Queen´s Vase over two miles at Royal Ascot at York from Mr Vegas who franked the form by winning the Listed Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket last week, and Hearthstead Wings.

The Ladbrokes St Leger is the one Classic to elude trainer Sir Michael Stoute, who has sent out five seconds including Quiff last year. His one entry this year is Hard Top, a promising fifth to Proclamation on his only start at Newmarket in October.

The 229th running of the world´s oldest classic, the Ladbrokes St Leger, takes place over one mile, six furlongs and 132 yards.

Ladbrokes´ sponsorship has boosted the St Leger prize money by #50,000 this year to #450,000.

The Classic is the feature event on Saturday, September 10, the final day of the four-day St Leger Festival at Doncaster.

Ted Taylor, Managing Director of Doncaster Racecourse, said: 'We are delighted with the quality of the entries for the Ladbrokes St Leger and urge racegoers to book in advance as the Members Enclosure on the Saturday is already sold out, a month earlier than last year.

'GNER Ladies´ Day (Thursday, September 8) is also sold out in Members and so we are looking forward to a great St Leger Festival.'

The latest Ladbrokes St Leger betting is: 3 Scorpion, 6 Shalapour, 7 Plea Bargain, 10 Indigo Cat, 10 The Geezer, 12 Munsef, 12 Walk In The Park, 14 Brahminy Kite, 14 Playful Act, 16 Behkiyra, 16 Fracas, 16 Kong, 16 Melrose Avenue, 20 Hard Top, 20 Mr Vegas, 25 Perfectperformance, 25 Streets Of Gold , 25 Tawqeet, 25 Thakafaat, 25 Unfurled, 33 Dubai Surprise, 33 Ehsan, 33 Gold Gun, 33 Hippodrome, 33 Queen Of Poland, 33 Yehudi, 40 Bar (1/4 odds 1,2,3)

Mike Dillon of Ladbrokes commented: 'We are very pleased with the entries for the first Ladbrokes St Leger.

'It is encouraging to have the seconds from both the Epsom Derby and Irish Derby, Walk In The Park and Scorpion. The latter is putting his credentials on the line in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on Thursday evening.

'There are also high-class fillies like Playful Act entered which is good news.'