SAHorseracing.com
SAHorseracing.com
CAPRI, OCEAN DOMINATE ST LEGER BETTING

Capri (Galileo), winner of the recent Gr1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, is currently vying for favouritism with Crystal Ocean (Sea The Stars) for Saturday week’s Gr1 William Hill St Leger at Doncaster.
The flashy grey, who is bidding to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his fourth win in the Leger, is currently a 7-2 shot for the final British classic with many firms, with Paddy Power and William Hill both quoting Capri as a 4-1 chance for the St Leger.
Capri, a winner of four of his nine outings, has not started since landing the Irish Derby at the beginning of July.

His principal rival, recent Gr3 Qatar Gordon Stakes winner Crystal Ocean (Sea The Stars), is also largely a 7-2 shot for the St Leger, with Gr1 Qatar Goodwood Cup winner Stradivarius (a Sea The Stars half-brother to Cape broodmare Magical Eve) next best in the betting for the classic contest.
Crystal Ocean has been touted a likely St Leger hope since romping to a three and a half length win in the Gordon Stakes last month and had previously been third to ill-fated Permian (Teofilo) in both the Gr2 King Edward VII Stakes and Gr2 Betfred Dante Stakes.

Douglas Macarthur (Galileo), by and large a 20-1 hope, could represent leading South African Markus Jooste in the St Leger while another potential Leger candidate Belgravia (Galileo) is a half-brother to Cape sire Duke Of Marmalade- whose daughter, Simple Verse, won the St Leger back in 2015.

The St Leger, Britain’s oldest classic, was first run in 1776 and subsequent winners include champions Pretty Polly, Bayardo, Fairway, Hyperion, Windsor Lad, Bahram, Sun Chariot and Nijinsky II, with the latter the most recent horse to win the British Triple Crown (2000 Guineas, Derby, St Leger).

Won in recent times by the likes of dual Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Conduit (Dalakhani), and Gr1 Gold Cup hero Leading Light (Montjeu), the St Leger is run over 2937 meters in front of what is usually a large and knowledgeable crowd.
 

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