The final classic of the season takes place this weekend when we head to Doncaster for the St Leger Stakes.
Punters are treated to the first four classics by the first weekend of June but they have to wait until mid-September for the final one of the five.
This race of course being the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster racecourse. A race run over 1m 6 1/2f, it is the longest of the five classics and has played host to future staying champions.
This year, Aiden O'Brien's Illinois, the Queens Vase winner at Royal Ascot, is a firm favourite to record an eighth win in the race for the Ballydoyle trainer.
St Leger Stakes 2024 Odds
| Horse | Best Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 7/4 | 36% |
| Jan Brueghel | 4/1 | 20% |
| Grosvenor Square | 5/1 | 17% |
| Sunway | 7/1 | 13% |
| Ancient Wisdom | 8/1 | 11% |
| Los Angeles | 16/1 | 6% |
St Leger Stakes Date
The 2024 St Leger Stakes will take place on 14th September at Doncaster racecourse at 3.40pm. The race is scheduled to be broadcast live on ITV.
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St Leger Stakes Entries
Illinois
At the end of his two year old campaign, Illinois's third in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud hinted that he would want this sort of trip in his classic year and pundits have been proven right.
Staying on in third that day, this son of Galileo has relished the step up to 14 furlongs, something which was seen when he won the Queens Vase at Royal Ascot in June.
That race has a good record for St Leger winners with both Eldar Eldarov and Kew Gardens winning it before coming on to win at Doncaster.
Illinois himself has since finished 2nd at both Longchamp in the Grand Prix de Paris and at York in the Voltigeur Stakes. Both those races were over the shorter 1m 4f trip and the return to 1m 6f should be a positive.
He is a worthy favourite and should go very close to winning.
Jan Brueghel
Next up in the market is the unbeaten Jan Brueghel, also trained by Aiden O'Brien. Unraced at two, this son of Galileo was a winner by an astonishing 8 lengths on his belated debut in May at the Curragh and has since gone on to back that up with back to back victories in Group 3's.
The first of those was over 1m 2f at the Curragh where he beat Trustyourinstinct by a neck. That horse subsequently finished a strong 2nd to last year's St Leger winner Continuous by 1/2 length to boost the form aswell.
The second victory was at Goodwood where he won the Gordon Stakes by a neck to Bellum Justum, a horse who had been 3rd in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Given a rating of 114 after only three starts, Jan Brueghel has every chance on ratings however, he must prove that this new distance will suit him aswell as the others.
Grosvenor Square
Moving down the betting again, we find another Aiden O'Brien horse, this time in the shape of Grosvenor Square.
This son of Galileo has a wealth of experience compared to his stablemate Jan Brueghel, having raced seven times already.
The most recent of those was a 20 length victory at the Curragh in a Group 3 over 1m 6f. However, despite the eyewatering distance, his most impressive performance was the time before when he finished 2nd in the Group 2 Curragh Cup in July.
He was only 1 1/4 lengths behind the 118 rated Tower of London that day and was 7 lengths ahead of Vauban. He was getting plenty of weight that day from the older horses, but that was his first try over the 1m6f trip and he showed his liking for it again last time out.
Importantly, the trip could be the making of him and his battled hardened experience can see him go very close.
Sunway
David Menuisier's Sunway offers some welcomed difference in the lineup not being a son of Galileo nor coming from Ballydoyle.
This son of Galiway is just as experienced as Grosvenor Square having raced nine times already but is not as proven trip wise, having no experience over the distance.
More than that, he hasn't won all season with him only making the frame twice. However, that's not to say he hasn't impressed and his 2nd place in his penultimate run at the Curragh definitely caught the eye.
That came in the Irish Derby over 1m 4f and Sunway ran on strongly out the back to get up for 2nd under Oisin Murphy that day. T
he winner, Los Angeles, was more favourably positioned and David Menuisier's stable star was given no chance next time out in the King George VI stakes against older horses. Nevertheless he ran on well into 4th that day aswell and even finished in front of favourite Auguste Rodin.
He now steps up to 1m 6f but the unknown looks like a positive and this 115 rated colt doesn't need to improve much to be in with a chance of winning.
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St Leger Stakes Tips
Although Illinois does have a favourites chance, perhaps SUNWAY can bring down the O'Brien battalion.
The son of Galiway showed remarkable improvement when stepped up to 1m 4f in the Irish Derby and the winner, Los Angeles, did beat Illinois next time out at York.
By that logic, it doesn't make sense for Sunway to be 7/1 whilst Illinois is 7/4 and I wasn't disheartened by his 10 length 4th at Ascot last time out. I expect him to improve again for the step up in trip and he can be backed each-way against the favourite.
