Youmzain, successful in the Group Two Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on August 22, is in line to bid for a return success at the course in the season's final Classic, the £475,000 Group One Ladbrokes St Leger, which takes place at the Knavesmire on Saturday, September 9.
A bumper field could line up at York for the world's oldest Classic, with 21 horses remaining at today's forfeit stage, 11 more than at the same stage in 2005.
The Mick Channon-trained Youmzain swept late to deny the Red Rocks, trained by Brian Meehan, by a head in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur, and the pair are set to renew rivalry at York, which hosts the historic race while Doncaster undergoes redevelopment.
Aidan O'Brien secured his third Ladbrokes St Leger with Scorpion last year, who followed in the footsteps of Milan (2001) and Brian Boru (2003), and the Irish champion trainer has seven horses remaining.
The Ballydoyle septet is headed by Septimus, victorious in the Group Two Dante Stakes at York in May, and also includes Ladbrokes Graet Voltigeur third Puerto Rico, Group Two-placed Mountain, Tusculum, Magicalmysterytour, Savannah and Fire And Rain.
The classically-bred market leader, Sixties Icon, trained by Jeremy Noseda, is on course for the race following his success in the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on August 1, when he defeated the Marcus-Tregoning-trained Jadalee by a length and three-quarters.
The Mark Johnston-trained Lina's Selection was third to Noseda's charge at Goodwood and earlier won at Royal Ascot in June before securing a Listed race success in the John Smith's Extra Smooth Silver Cup over the 2006 Ladbrokes St Leger course and distance, on July 15.
The William Haggas-trained Mont Etoile, part-owned by eight-time St Leger winning jockey Lester Piggott, scored her biggest triumph in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and followed that effort with a good fourth to the brilliant Alexandrova in the Group One Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on July 16.
Sir Michael Stoute is famously yet to win the great race, although he has trained the runner-up five times. Stoute could attempt to rectify that with Ask and Book Of Music, while John Gosden, victorious with Shantou 10 years ago, may saddle Corum and Group Three Queen's Vase third, Ermine Sea.
Alongside Youmzain, Channon could run Listed Predominate Stakes winner Championship Point, while Brian Meehen may also be two-handed with the lightly-raced Judge, and Barry Hills is set to run Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur fourth, The Last Drop.
There is a final chance for horses to be supplemented for the 2006 Ladbrokes St Leger, at a cost of £25,000, at the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, September 4.
THE LADBROKES ST LEGER
Class 1, Group 1, £475,000 Total Prize Fund. York, Saturday, September 9, 2006. For 3yo only, entire colts & fillies. One mile, five furlongs and 197 yards. Weights: colts 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Entries closed July 5, entries revealed July 10 (52 entries), forfeit stage August 24 (21 remain), £25,000 supplementary entry stage September 4, five-day confirmation stage September 4, final declaration stage, 10.00am, September 7. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Wednesday, August 23, 2006.
Form Horse Owner Trainer
3210 ASK The Duke of Devonshire & Sue Magnier Sir Michael Stoute
1-42 BOOK OF MUSIC (IRE) Gainsborough Stud Sir Michael Stoute
112-100 CHAMPIONSHIP POINT (IRE) John Livock Bloodstock Limited Mick Channon
0-162 CORUM (IRE) H R H Princess Haya of Jordan John Gosden
0-2(2)2315 ERMINE SEA Lady Bamford John Gosden
1-6 FIRE AND RAIN (FR) Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
0-1125 GALIENT (IRE) Mr & Mrs Kevan Watts Michael Jarvis
021-522 JADALEE (IRE) Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning
21-0 JUDGE (USA) Joe Allbritton Brian Meehan
041-21113 LINAS SELECTION Renata Jacobs Mark Johnston
22160 MAGICALMYSTERYTOUR (IRE) Sue Magnier & Roisin Henry Aidan O'Brien IRE
46(5)-1214 MONT ETOILE (IRE) Tony Hirschfeld, Des Scott. Lester Piggott William Haggas
14-42060 MOUNTAIN (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
1-31003 PUERTO RICO (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
032-11222 RED ROCKS (IRE) Paul Reddam Brian Meehan
0-16 SAVANNAH Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier, Lady Howard de Walden Aidan O'Brien IRE
113-010 SEPTIMUS (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
61031 SIXTIES ICON Susan Roy Jeremy Noseda
5-12504 THE LAST DROP (IRE) Jack Hanson, Cavendish InvLtd, A Patrick Barry Hills
31-4 TUSCULUM (IRE) K Baronin Von Ullmann & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
031-13011 YOUMZAIN (IRE) Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon
21 entries remain after August 24 forfeit stage
7 Irish-trained
Latest Ladbrokes prices:
5/2 Sixties Icon
5/1 Septimus
6/1 Red Rocks
7/1 Youmzain
10/1 Jadalee
10/1 Linas Selection
14/1 Mountain
16/1 Ask
16/1 Puerto Rico
20/1 Fire And Rain
25/1 Galient
25/1 Mont Etoile
33/1 Ermine Sea
33/1 The Last Drop
40/1 Championship Point
40/1 Judge
50/1 Book Of Music
50/1 Tusculum
100/1 Corum
100/1 Magicalmysterytour
100/1 Savannah
METROPOLITAN THE MAN FOR WINDSOR TEST
Newmarket trainer David Simcock is hoping to secure his first career Group race victory with Metropolitan Man, who is stepping up to 10 furlongs for the first time in the £50,000 Group Three totesport.com Winter Hill Stakes, the highlight of Windsor Racecourse's summer season.
The Dr Fong colt, who has raced exclusively at a mile this term, was involved in a thrilling finish to the Listed Vodafone Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood on August 5, in which he finished under a length second to Prince Of Light.
Simcock reported today: "He's very well and ran a great race at Goodwood last time. I was delighted with that performance and he was just unlucky to find one better. The winner had the run of the race.
"The extra quarter mile is obviously a concern because we're going into unknown territory but the gut feeling is that he will have no problem getting it."
The three-year-old showed great promise on his seasonal debut when runner-up to Killybegs in the Group Three Craven Stakes at Newmarket in May, and subsequently ran with credit when fifth to Araafa in the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Metropolitan Man's best form has come on a sound surface, including when successful on good to firm going in a Hamilton conditions event in July, and Simcock is hoping that the rain clouds stay away.
The trainer commented: "If there was any soft in the going description he wouldn't run, but at the moment everything is good."
The Group Three contest, Windsor's most prestigious prize, has attracted a 13-strong field at the 48-hour declaration stage, including the Marcus Tregoning-trained Mulaqat, winner of the Group Three Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock Park last time out.
Sir Michael Stoute, who won the race most recently in 2001 with Adilabad, who was scoring his second successive win in the Group Three contest, saddles Tam Lin, winner of a 10-furlong Newbury Listed contest on July 22. The Selkirk colt's only defeat in four career starts came when fifth in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Chancellor, trained by Ernst Oertel, represents owner Andrew Reid, who saddled Eccentric to victory in the race 12 months ago, while Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor relies on Yarmouth Listed race winner Reunite to add to his tally of five winners in the race, which includes a hat-trick of wins for Annus Mirabilis (1996-1998).
Persian Punch's half-brother, Classic Punch, is in the field for trainer David Elsworth, as is the Clive Brittain-trained Kandidate, Geoff Wragg's Grand Passion, and the Terry Mills-trained Before You Go.
Windsor's quality six-race card also features the Listed totepool August Stakes over an extended 11 furlongs, which was won last year by Group Three St Simon Stakes winner Orcadian, while the previous season saw Godolphin's Naheef take the prize to add to his victory in the 2002 totesport Winter Hill Stakes.
This year sees an eight-strong field set to do battle, including the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Windsor Knot, Clive Brittain's Group Three winner Hattan, and the multiple Listed-placed Ouninpohja who bids for his for his first win of the campaign for his new trainer Ian Semple.
Windsor Racecourse's Summer Season Finale promises to be a thrilling evening of sport and entertainment, as the Thameside track hosts a quality six-race card, while post-racing fun continues with tribute band Briefcase Blues Brother taking centre stage.
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