Cazoo St Leger Stakes preview & tips: Who will win Doncaster's big race on Sunday?

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sun September 11, 2022 · 2y ago

We have a tip, trainer quotes and key video replays for the Group One Cazoo St Leger Stakes at Doncaster on Sunday.

Cazoo St Leger Stakes Tip

NEW LONDON's Gordon Stakes form at Glorious Goodwood has worked out very well indeed and he put in his strongest work at the finish of that 1m4f contest.

The son of Dubawi should relish the extra couple of furlongs here and he can win a second consecutive Leger for Charlie Appleby who struck in last year's race with Hurricane Lane.

Timeform Pace Map

Timeform's predicted pace map for the St Leger

Pace Forecast : Even

Draw Bias : Favours High

Specific Pace Hint : Horses on or near the front end aren’t usually the ones to concentrate on at this distance here but with little obvious prospect of a really strong gallop in store HOO YA MAL probably won’t be that well placed whereas FRENCH CLAIM (FR) probably will.

Individual Price Hint : HASKOY was successful last time out when trading at twice or more her starting Betfair SP.

Key Quotes

Charlie Appleby, New London: “He had a piece of work on Wednesday and looked great. I’ve always said we wanted to come here as a fresh horse. The only blip he’s had on his page was in the Chester Vase. People might say was that the trip and ground at the time, but I don’t think it was either. I just think he’d run a good, solid race at the Craven meeting a few weeks earlier and he’s best when he’s fresh. That’s why after the Gordon Stakes we always wanted to come straight here.”

Barry Mahon Haskoy: “She adds something to the race. She’s an unbeaten filly and she’s been supplemented for the last Classic of the year. Obviously the Godolphin horse (New London) is very good, Roger Varian’s (Eldar Eldarov) is a Royal Ascot winner and we know the form of George Boughey’s horse (Hoo Ya Mal) from the Derby with Westover. It’s a top race, but to have an unexposed filly going for it is exciting. We don’t know how good she is. We could find out that she’s not up to this level, but if she’s improved from York she should be there or thereabouts. I think she’ll stay – the way she hit the line at York you’d think a mile and six should be within her compass. The extra half a furlong is a little bit of an unknown, but I’d like to think she has every chance of staying.”

Roger Varian, Eldar Eldarov: “I thought his run in the Grand Prix de Paris was a fair performance, I don’t think he disgraced himself. I’m not sure whether he was at his best or whether he showed that day he was a real staying horse. He’d won over one-mile-and-six-furlongs at Ascot and looked as though he needed every yard of it, but over the mile and a half at Longchamp the ground was very quick; it was a speed test over a trip. He was only just getting going as they crossed the line, I don’t think he disgraced himself, he ran fine, he just showed us he isn’t that type of horse.”

Eldar Eldarov edges a Royal Ascot thriller

George Boughey, Hoo Ya Mal: “He came to the yard not that long before his first run at Goodwood. We’re still getting to know him but over the last couple of weeks, he’s started to thrive. He’s been a very straightforward horse to train, and we’ve always had it in the back of our minds that he’s not really ‘our’ horse. We’re looking after him for the meantime before he goes down (to Australia) and tries to stay two miles on his first start. It’s been a case of slowing him down rather than quickening him up. He seems relaxed and in great shape.”

Paddy Twomey, French Claim: “He has half a chance – that is why he is over there. He is a right progressive horse and every time he has run he has improved on the previous time. I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths as will the big, galloping nature of the track. I think all the rain that has fallen recently will be a big help to him and he trained very well ahead of the Irish Derby and ran to a high level in that on ground that was plenty quick enough for him. He beat the Oaks winner (Tuesday) who was second in the Yorkshire Oaks on her next start and and that probably is the strongest piece of form in the St Leger, so we’re looking forward to running.”

Marco Botti, Giavellotto: “He has kept progressing through the season and stays well. As long as the ground doesn’t get too heavy, he will appreciate a bit of cut. He is in great form and with the race losing a few strong contenders, he deserves to take his chance. We are hoping for a big run and he will be even better as a four-year-old.”