This was an important race in its own right, in addition to being the principal trial for the St Leger. In the past ten years three colts have completed the double, most recently Lucarno in 2007, while another three St Leger winners were beaten in the York race. The same period also threw up six Leger runners-up, all of whom were beaten in the Voltigeur. The dead ground was very much a key point and the ridiculous use of a pace maker by O'brien yet again
It looked a strong renewal, Seville setting a high standard. The pace was ordinary early on, with the bulk of the field ignoring the favourite´s pacemaker Regent Street. Things quickened up at around halfway and they came down the centre of the track in the home straight.
SEA MOON was a highly impressive winner and is a justifiably short price for the St Leger now. Successful off 92 in a handicap over the extended 1m2f here on his belated reappearance two months ago, he had to find a fair bit of improvement on that bare form but this longer trip was sure to suit him. Travelling up well before changing his legs and quickening clear, he powered away for a wide-margin victory.
A half-brother to the 2003 Leger winner Brian Boru, who was runner-up in this race, he hit the line with plenty of running still in him and should have no problem with the extra yardage at Doncaster. With further progress almost assured, as this was only the fourth outing of his life, he is going to be very hard to beat next month. A bit of cut in the ground would be ideal.
Al Kazeem had been kept off the track by a small setback since winning the London Gold Cup at Newbury in May, a handicap which has worked out very well with the next four home winning since. Up in trip and grade, he was never a threat to the easy winner but stayed on from the rear to take second. This was a fine effort from a colt with more to offer at this sort of trip. He´s not entered in the St Leger, with the Cambridgeshire his only big-race entry. The Arc Trial at Newbury next month is a possibility for him.
Seville looked the one to beat on form, having finished second in the Dante here at York, the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris, and was 8lb clear on BHA figures. He came there to show narrowly ahead, but couldn´t quicken up for pressure as the winner pulled right away from him and lost second spot too late on. Deposed as Leger favourite, he is obviously a high-class colt but remains without a win since he scored at Tipperary as a juvenile. It will be interesting to see whether the final Classic remains on his agenda.
Genius Beast, from the yard successful in thislast year with Rewilding, plugged on from the rear of the field past labouring rivals for a never threatening fourth. He has been held three times in this grade since winning Sandown´s Classic Trial in the spring.
This was a disappointing showing fromNamibian, who came here on a hat-trick following gutsy wins in the Queen´s Vase at Ascot and Goodwood´s Gordon Stakes. His rider tried to wind things up in the straight but the response from colt was limited, and he was beaten with two to run. The easy ground shouldn´t have posed him any problems and perhaps this was just an off-day.
The Gordon Stakes third Hunter´s Light was a supplementary entry for this. He improved in the straight to have his chance, but weakened away and appeared not to get home in the ground.
Given another change of headgear, Regent Street went off rather quickly with his rider looking around in the back straight to see where the rest were. The colt predictably dropped away when tackled.
Newmarket maiden winner Thimaar had a lot on his plate on these terms but it was still disappointing that he dropped out so quickly after leading the main body of the field into the home straight. He had been just a short head behind runner-up Al Kazeem at Newbury in April. [RL]
QUOTES: Sir Michael Stoute said of Sea Moon: "That was highly impressive. He is a horse we have always loved. He had a few little niggles in the springtime, an inflammation of the pharynx and we had to take our time. We were hopeful today, he had been working really nicely, but we didn´t expect him to win like that.´
The VFb gave clear indication that Sea Moon was the improver for this race together with the fact it was 6 points clear of the recent winner Namibian it had the form on dead ground it was also all blue on course Msp Lat and Cgl
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