Hard Work For Jadalee

Ladbrokes St Leger hope Jadalee put up a solid, rather than spectacular, display to win the Windflower March Stakes at Goodwood.

Marcus Tregoning's three-year-old has been pencilled in as a possible contender for the final domestic Classic of the season and showed admirable battling qualities ? without ever setting the world alight ? to justify his short price in the Listed heat.

The Desert Prince colt was always close to the pace set by Barolo before gaining a narrow advantage approaching the three-furlong marker.

Despite finding a nice split on the far rail, Dale Gibson was hard at work from then on and became embroiled in an absorbing duel with Akarem along the straight.

But once the latter began to tire, Jadalee still needed to pull out all the stops to repel the rejuvenated Barolo and score by a neck at odds of 10-11.

VC Bet and William Hill remain unchanged at 12-1 about Tregoning's charge winning the Leger at York on September 9, with the sponsors also unmoved, although they are shorter at 8s.

Paddy Power were more impressed and went 8-1 from 10s.

Tregoning praised Jadalee's fighting qualities on ground he felt was softer than ideal.

The Lambourn-based handler will now liaise with owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum before making a final decision on the three-year-old's participation in the St Leger.

'He's a very big horse and physically he's quite slow-maturing,' said Tregoning.

'I think the ground was a bit more testing than he'd been used to in the past and I feel it just found him out a little bit.

'But it was a very determined effort nonetheless and he'll get much better in time ? he's obviously a decent horse.

'But where we go now I don't know ? we'll see how he takes this race and then discuss things with the owner.

'He's possibly done enough (to warrant a place in the St Leger) because Goodwood may not have suited him.

'Maybe he needs a more galloping track like York. But the trouble with York is it can get very soft there.'

(C) PA Sport