Saturday, 14th September, marks a significant date in the British racing calendar as, by around 3:50pm, Classic season will be officially over for another year, following the conclusion of the oldest Classic of them all – the St. Leger Stakes.
That 1m6f Group 1 affair rightly takes centre stage at the three-day St. Leger Festival (kicking off on Thursday, 12th September) but is far from the only intriguing contest on offer from the Town Moor venue.
Here, we look at one of the most interesting races on the opening day, as a bumper field of juveniles does battle over 6½f.
A Distinctive Event
There are many two-year-old races throughout the British season, but not many quite like this. Neither a maiden nor a traditional handicap, here the weights carried by the contenders are determined by the Median price of their sire’s yearlings sold at public auctions in Europe and North America – the higher the median price, the greater the weight carried.
That weight system leans into the fact that more expensive yearlings are, on average, better than their cheaper contemporaries, creating an interesting puzzle for punters to solve – particularly as there are penalties in play for those who have previously won at Listed level or above.
As ever, when analysing these juvenile events, we will attempt to strike a balance between the form shown by the runners at the track and the suitability of their pedigree to the task at hand.
A Shortlist of Five
A week before the event, 28 runners remain in the field, and history suggests most of these will stand their ground – each of the past ten editions featured 15+ competitors, with six seeing 20+ go to post.
There are no shortage of promising breeding pages amongst the contenders, with the following five making our shortlist.
An Outlaw’s Grace – 7/1 with bet365
Sire: Dandy Man
Trainer: Richard Hannon
In common with many from the Hannon yard, this Middleham Park Racing runner was ready to rock on debut when scoring in good style at Salisbury. He’s zero from three since but went down by only 1¾l in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin before failing to stay 7f in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. Running in a similar contest to this at York last time, he was tapped for toe on the good to firm ground but finished nicely to hit the line in sixth. He received 4lb from the top weight that day but gets 7lb here, and the predicted slower conditions may suit.
Miss Nightfall – 33/1 with bet365
Sire: Sands Of Mali
Trainer: James Fanshawe
Sire Sands Of Mali scored in Group 2 company as a juvenile, and the early signs suggest he is passing that precocity on to his progeny – Ain’t Nobody scoring at Listed level, Time For Sandals narrowly beaten in a Group 2, and Yes I’m Mali winning the big juvenile handicap at York this season. Miss Nightfall is yet to be set such a challenge and didn’t help her cause when missing the break in her first two outings. However, last time out at Windsor was much more like it, as she quickened up nicely to put 1¼l between herself and the field despite looking green in front. Second-bottom in the weights and on an upward trajectory, she looks like a big each-way player.
Hallasan – 20/1 with bet365
Sire: Pinatubo
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
By 20119 Champion juvenile Pinatubo, out of the mare Fig Roll, who was a Listed class winner over this trip, and a half-brother to the Group 3 winning sprinter Al Raya, Godolphin’s Hallasan certainly looks the part on paper. Reportedly a little gassy in his early outings and easily distracted, a gelding operation appears to have sparked improvement. Stepped up to this trip for the first time at Nottingham in July, he could be called the winner someway from home and duly cruised to a 3¼l success. Nicely bred and in great hands, there may be more to come.
Assertively – 14/1 with bet365
Sire: Acclamation
Trainer: Karl Burke
Karl Burke is a man to fear in any juvenile sprint contest and landed the 2022 edition of this with the heavily backed Cold Case. With six runs under his belt, Assertively is the most experienced runner in the field, which may stand him in good stead in the hustle and bustle. He also boasts some of the strongest form on offer, having finished second in Listed company and a close fourth in a German Group 3 last time. Each of those efforts came over 7f, but he scored over 5f on debut and looks interesting dropping back slightly in trip.
Deauville Blue – 50/1 with bet365
Sire: Blue Point
Trainer: Charles Hills
And for those seeking one at a really big price, how about this son of the four-time Group 1 winning sprinter Blue Point? There are few better at managing sprinters than Charles Hills, and this one caught the eye in a hot Maiden at Newbury back in May. Whilst only eighth that day, he appeared to need the experience. Seemingly not enjoying being trapped behind horses in midfield, he needed no second invitation once in the clear to finish off just about best of all. Winner Mr Chaplin added to his tally at Goodwood, whilst Jouncy, King Of Bears, Diligently, and Pappa Louis are other winners to emerge from that contest. With a guaranteed strong pace to aim at here and that experience under his belt, we suspect he will outrun those lofty odds if taking up this engagement.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
