Nijinksky just one of those to grace 250 years of the St Leger With the 250th edition of the world’s oldest Classic fast approaching, we look back on seven memorable St Legers: NIJINSKY, 1970 Nijinsky arrived on Town Moor in September 1970 with a sky-high reputation and an opportunity to write his name into the record books as the first horse since Bahram in 1935 to win the Triple Crown. He won the race easily, cruising home against outclassed opponents with Lester Piggott barely moving. “Led on bit one and a half out, not extended, impressive” was how the Sporting Life’s close-up recorded the event for posterity. But the simplicity of the race itself, in which Meadowville was hugely flattered to finish only a length behind in second, bore no relation to the fanfares that preceded it and the drama that followed. Nijinsky came into the Leger with an unbeaten record stretching through two seasons and 10 races, including the 2000 Guineas, Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, in which he toyed with a high-class field. His brilliance had captured the imagination of the racing public and the historic nature of the occasion was not lost on them. They flocked to Town Moor to witness his date with destiny. But for Vincent O’Brien’s champion, there was a price to pay, and in retrospect the most remarkable feature of the 1970 St Leger was that it was Nijinsky’s final victory. Only defeats were to follow, at Longchamp and Newmarket. The colt had suffered a severe bout of ringworm after the King George and though he appeared perfectly well when he went to Doncaster, the race took more out of him than had been expected and O’Brien felt afterwards that he never quite recovered. Certainly he was not the same horse when unable to overcome the worst possible draw, 15 of 15, in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, where he lost to an inferior opponent in Sassafras. “The St Leger distance extracted considerably more than a pound of flesh from Nijinsky’s physical condition,” said owner Charles Engelhard later. Nijinsky’s reputation is undiminished, however, and he remains the last horse to have won the Triple Crown. That is epitaph enough. DUNFERMLINE, 1977 Silver Jubilee year was memorable for the Queen for many reasons, and amid the flag-waving and the street parties she was also the proud owner of a dual Classic winner. Dunfermline had already won the Oaks, but she was up against a formidable rival on Town Moor in the shape of the unbeaten Alleged. The pair had a tremendous tussle all the way to the line, following which there was a lengthy stewards’ inquiry. The filly’s stamina won the day and to further demonstrate her feat, Alleged went on to win the Arc twice. CUT ABOVE, 1981 The 1981 renewal is best remembered not for its winner, but for the shock defeat of the legendary Shergar. The 4-9 favourite had made hacks of his rivals in the Derby, but this was to be no lap of honour as he could manage only a leg-weary fourth as the 28-1 winner swept past him. Shergar was retired from racing two weeks later, and his terrible fate is now part of racing’s folklore. OH SO SHARP, 1985 Sheikh Mohammed’s wonderful three-year-old completed the fillies’ Triple Crown of 1000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger with her victory on Town Moor. She had conjured a thrilling triumph from a bad position at Newmarket to win by two short heads, and sluiced in by six lengths at Epsom. She was not at her best come Leger time, but Henry Cecil’s tough, versatile performer was still too good for her opponents and won going away under Steve Cauthen. USER FRIENDLY, 1992 User Friendly completed a Classic treble for trainer Clive Brittain and veteran jockey George Duffield when she ran away with the 1992 renewal. The 7-4 favourite, already the winner of both the English and Irish Oaks, gave Duffield an armchair ride after he settled her in behind the pacemakers. The jockey waited until the two-furlong marker before letting out a couple of inches of rein, and the response was immediate as User Friendly galloped clear to score by three and a half lengths. SILVER PATRIARCH, 1997 John Dunlop’s grey had been agonisingly beaten in a photo-finish to the Derby by Benny The Dip but looked sure to be suited by the step up in trip at Doncaster. Defeats in the Irish Derby and Great Voltigeur did not prevent him being sent off the favourite, but that might have been more down to his jockey – a quirk of fate meant that going into the race Pat Eddery was on 3,999 career winners. Pestered up the home straight, his stamina came to the fore and he pulled clear close home for a famous victory. ENCKE, 2012 What might have been. Camelot was a tremendous horse – but history would regard him very differently if things had gone his way on Town Moor. The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt lined up as the 2-5 favourite in the hands of Joseph O’Brien, being unbeaten in five career starts, four of those in Group Ones. Crucially, that included the 2000 Guineas and Derby, meaning he was poised to join Nijinsky as a Triple Crown winner. But it was to end in bitter disappointment. The race was not run to suit and while he tried all the way to the line, he was not going to get to Encke. For all his incredible achievements, this will always be the one that got away for Aidan O’Brien.
