St Leger report, reaction and free replay as Eldar Eldarov wins rescheduled Classic at Doncaster on Sunday

Following in the footsteps of Kingston Hill who struck Classic gold for the Varian yard in 2014, Queen’s Vase hero Eldar Eldarov was bouncing back to his best form under David Egan after a relatively disappointing run in France last time out.

The supplemented filly Haskoy (9/2) ran a big race under Frankie Dettori, passing the past second, but she was subsequently demoted by the local stewards and placed fourth after seemingly causing interference to Neil Callan on Giavellotto, who was checked in his run a couple of furlongs out and passed the post fourth.

The 11/8 favourite New London finished third before being promoted to second, although he had no obvious excuses having taken a long time to pick up in the hands of William Buick after travelling in third through the early stages.

It was a dramatic renewal of the final Classic of the season, but Egan wasn't concerned, punching the air in celebration as he crossed the line a couple of lengths to the good.

Sky Bet cut Eldar Eldarov to 5/1 from 12/1 for the Long Distance Cup at Ascot next month and 16/1 from 33s for the Melbourne Cup, should connections opt to travel Down Under at the end of the year.

Varian said: “I quietly thought he had a real big shout today.

“Not everybody was wowed by his run in France last time out, but the winner (Onesto) went and pushed Luxembourg all the way in the Irish Champion Stakes.

“He had a tough race that day which is why he didn’t run again and he was only just getting going at the line in France. His run at Royal Ascot showed he had stamina in abundance and that race is proving a good trial for the Leger. He’s also handled soft ground as a two-year-old.

“So I knew he’d stay and handle the ground, it was whether he was good enough.

“Sometimes the longer you do something the harder things get, so it gets more satisfying. I think we’d only been training three or four years when Kingston Hill won the Leger so this is a very sweet success.

“I think we see him as a Cup horse next season, he’s blessed with stamina and has an admirable attitude. We brought him back to a mile and a half in France and he was only just getting going at the finish.

“If he stays sound we could have him for the next two, three or four years. I think he’s very exciting.

“I’m delighted for David, you won’t meet a nicer guy, he’s genuine, hard working and gracious in defeat while not being obnoxious in victory.”

On the 45th anniversary of the Queen winning the race with Dunfermline and just days after her death, Varian added: “The whole nation is saddened by the loss of the Queen, everyone in racing has been hit hard as we’ve lost our patron really.

“We’re grateful racing went ahead today, I think it’s what she would have wanted. The royal family is grieving and our thoughts are with them.”

Egan said: “I was in the position I wanted to be but I got a bump early in the straight. That almost helped me though as it woke him up, he wasn’t taking me into the race given how well he’d travelled throughout.

“He’s going to be a proper stayer. Ease in the ground helped and he hit the line really strongly. It’s fantastic, a Classic, I’m gobsmacked, I don’t know what’s going on!

“I got a lovely clean run after that little bump and I was away from the toruble on the inside. It was straightforward, what a horse, he’s done nothing wrong, he just wasn’t suited to a mile and a half on quick ground in France but Onesto won and look how well he ran in Ireland.

“I lost the ride on Mishriff this year but winning a Classic is something special.

“It’s a week since Jack de Bromhead passed away and he was who I thought about crossing the line. It’s been a sad week with Her Majesty dying.”

Timeform view from the track

(David Cleary)

Stamina was the key to the outcome of the final classic of the season, the Cazoo St Leger, the winner Eldar Eldarov possessing it in abundance, this a fourth success in five starts.

The one defeat came in the Grand Prix de Paris, Eldar Eldarov finishing fourth in it last time, but this was the third boost for that form this weekend, the winner Onesto a good second in the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday and Simca Mille victorious in the Prix Niel earlier on Sunday afternoon.

That said, the field finished in too much of a heap to take a particularly high view of the Leger form, the proximity of Giavellotto and Emily Dickinson, past the post in fourth and fifth, raising concerns. Giavellotto, a progressive handicapper taking quite a step up in grade, might even have finished second had he not been chopped off on the rails approaching two furlongs out.

The stewards certainly took that view, demoting the runner-up Haskoy to fourth. That was a double blow for her connections, the supplemented filly losing black type as well as prize money. They can take comfort from a cracking effort on Haskoy's part, and she will surely win a race at this level if kept in training next year.

Disappointments of the race were the form picks New London, who gained an unearned second placing, and Hoo Ya Mal. New London perhaps didn't handle the softish ground particularly well, though he had every chance. Hoo Ya Mal was giving his rider little help and looks very well sold by previous connections.

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