Sir Percy Among 52 Entries For Ladbrokes St Leger

Derby hero Sir Percy heads 52 entries for the Group One Ladbrokes St Leger, the fifth and final Classic of the British Flat racing season, run this year at York on Saturday, September 9.

With the race?s traditional home Doncaster currently undergoing redevelopment, Yorkshire neighbour York Racecourse is proud to host the 230th running of the world?s oldest Classic, with the 52-strong entry being the highest for five years - there were 39 entered last year.

Sir Percy, trained by Marcus Tregoning in Berkshire and owned by Victoria and Anthony Pakenham, may have cost only 16,000 guineas but in his two runs this year has finished second in the first colts? Classic, the 2,000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket on May 6, and he then showed an impressive turn of foot to lead on the line in the Vodafone Derby, the second colts? Classic at Epsom Downs on June 3.

The Ladbrokes St Leger at York, the third and final colts? Classic of 2006, is run over one mile, five furlongs and 197 yards, which is 155 yards less than usual distance at Doncaster.

Plenty of horses who finished behind Sir Percy at Epsom are entered in the Ladbrokes St Leger, seventh Sixties Icon, eighth Mountain, 10th Papal Bull,11th Championship Point, 12th Septimus - the 4/1 ante-post favourite with the sponsors, 14th Sienna Storm, 15th Atlantic Waves and 17th Noddies Way.

Papal Bull, who had no luck in running in the Derby, made amends when taking the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, and is a 6/1 chance with Ladbrokes, defeating fellow St Leger hopefuls Red Rocks (16/1) and Sixties Icon (14/1).

This is the second year of Ladbrokes? sponsorship of the Ladbrokes St Leger and the Classic is worth a record #475,000 in 2006.

Ladbrokes are also backing for the first time the #135,000 Group Two Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York over 12 furlongs on Tuesday, August 22, which is the traditional stepping stone to the St Leger.

Nine winners of the Ladbrokes St Leger since 1990 have raced previously in the Great Voltigeur Stakes, the latest being the 2004 winner Rule Of Law.

The first three home in the King Edward VII could meet first in Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes as they figure among the excellent 47 entries for the race which are also announced today.

Mike Dillon of Ladbrokes commented: 'We are thrilled with the high-class entry for the Ladbrokes St Leger.

'in addition to sponsoring the final Classic, we are also supporting the Ladbrokes Great St Voltigeur at York for the first time this year because it is a natural fit with the Ladbrokes St Leger.'

William Derby, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course of York Racecourse, said: 'We are delighted to be staging the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival, it promises to be a fantastic two days of top quality racing.

'The Ladbrokes St Leger itself looks set to be a wonderful contest with the number and quality of the entries.

'Our links with Ladbrokes are further strengthened with their support of the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at the Ebor Festival, a race where the victor has gone on to success in the final classic on 12 occasions.

'We?re looking forward to another great summer of top quality racing on the Knavesmire.'

Papal Bull?s trainer Sir Michael Stoute, yet to taste success in the Ladbrokes St Leger, has thee other entries in the big race, with maiden winners Ask (20/1) and Book Of Music joined by the filly Scottish Stage (14/1), who was the neck second in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot last time to the William Haggas-trained Mont Etoile (20/1), who is also entered.

Scottish Stage and Mont Etoile could complete their Ladbrokes St Leger preparations in the Aston Upthorpe Yorkshire Oaks at York on August 23.

Aidan O?Brien, Ireland?s champion trainer, has a superb Ladbrokes St Leger record, having scored three times in the last five years, with Milan in 2001, Brian Boru in 2003 and Scorpion in 2005.

He is responsible for no less than 17 entries, including Septimus who was so impressive when storming to an eight-length victory in the Group Two totesport Dante Stakes at York over an extended 10 furlongs on May 18, as well as Group Three winner Puerto Rico and Mountain -both 10/1 hopes - plus the lightly-raced unbeaten Fire And Rain - a 14/1 chance

Godolphin has captured the Ladbrokes St Leger on four occasions, thanks to Classic Cliche (1995), Nedawi (1998), Mutafaweq (1999) and Rule Of Law (2004).

Ashaawes, Emirates Skyline, Extreme Measures, Priors Hill and Rampallion, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, are the five entries this year from Godolphin.

Darsi (14/1), owned by the Aga Khan and trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre, won the the French Derby, the Prix du Jockey Club, at Chantilly on June 4, with the Charles Egerton-trained Art Deco (20/1) in fourth and both have been given Ladbrokes St Leger entries.

John Gosden, who sent out Shantou to land the St Leger spoils in 1996, has entered dual winner Imperial Star along with Corum, Ermine Sea and Invention, Barry Hills, successful in 1994 with Moonax, could run The Last Drop, and Mark Tompkins, trainer of 1993 victor Bob?s Return, has put in Sienna Storm.

Bollin Eric, from Tim Easterby?s stable, became the first Northern-based horse to take the Ladbrokes St Leger in 2002 since Peleid triumphed in 1973, and Middleham-based Mark Johnston could bid to keep the prize in Yorkshire with Royal Ascot scorers Linas Selection (10/1) and Soapy Danger (12/1), plus Atlantic Waves.

Mick Channon, looking for his first British Classic success, has Hazeymm, Youmzain and Championship Point engaged, while Henry Cecil, who has saddled four St Leger winners, could run the lightly-raced Novellara.

Michael Jarvis has both Galient (16/1) and Hero Worship entered, and Jeremy Noseda, who trains Sixties Icon, also has the progressive Petrovich (12/1) as a possible runner.

Full list of opening odds from Labrokes for the Ladbrokes St Leger 4 Septimus, 6 Papal Bull, 10 Linas Selection, 10 Mountain, 10 Puerto Rico, 12 Petrovich, 12 Soapy Danger, 14 Darsi, 14 Fire And Rain, 14 Scottish Stage, 14 Sixties Icon, 16 Galient, 16 Red Rocks, 20 Art Deco, 20 Ask, 20 Galileo Galilei, 20 Mont Etoile, 25 Imperial Star, 25 Rampallion, 33 Ashaawes, 33 Atlantic Waves, 33 Championship Point, 33 Corum, 33 Ermine Sea, 33 Hero Worship, 33 Road To Mandalay, 40 Emirates Skyline, 40 Extreme Measures, 40 Grafton Street, 40 Hazeymm, 40 Hitchcock, 40 Judge, 40 Priors Hill, 40 Youmzain, 50 Book Of Music, 50 Kushnarenkovo, 50 Magicalmysterytour, 50 Novellara, 50 Tusculum, 66 Born For Glory, 66 Guilia, 66 Invention, 66 Jadalee, 66 Leo Tolstoy, 100 Sacrosanct, 100 Savannah, 100 Sienna Storm, 100 Soar With Eagles, 100 Talenti, 100 The Last Drop, 500 Noddies Way, - Sir Percy.