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Leading Light provides star quality

Sun 24th Aug 2014, 09:57

Leading Light, rightLeading Light, right
© Photo Healy Racing

Gold Cup hero Leading Light is the star attraction in the Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh.

Aidan O'Brien 's colt picked up a Group One prize in last year's St Leger at Doncaster, but made the grade over a longer trip at Royal Ascot when triumphing in an epic battle with Estimate.

There could be a big autumn ahead for Leading Light, with the likes of the Irish St Leger itself, or the Arc de Triomphe perhaps, on the agenda.

He must first see off last year's winner Royal Diamond who represents Johnny Murtagh, but was disappointing in the Gold Cup.

John Oxx's Streetcars To Stars, carrying the same yellow silks as his sire Sea The Stars did, was quietly fancied for this year's St Leger at Doncaster but was only third at Leopardstown recently.

Fine dual-purpose performer Inis Meain has been given a break, but trainer Denis Hogan is worried about the ground.

The handler said: "He is not a certain runner. We declared him hoping a bit of rain would come, but it is not meant to come until late Sunday. If it was to come earlier it would be perfect.

"We are just desperate to get a run into him. There is no race for him now between the Listed one in Listowel or the Leger, whichever one we decide to go for. We will run him on good, but the likelihood is we wouldn't run on good to firm.

"He is in good form and he is working well, but he will come on for a run. It will be ground dependent where he will go after Sunday.

"You would be more likely to get his ground in Listowel and he would probably have a winning chance there, while it would be a major jump up to the Leger. But if we got our conditions we would go for the Leger."