The early favourites for the St Leger – London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

As the British flat racing season nears its climax, all eyes turn to Doncaster for the prestigious St Leger Stakes. This historic race, the oldest of Britain’s five Classics, is renowned for testing the endurance and skill of the finest three-year-olds over its demanding one mile and six furlongs. With the race set to take place in mid-September, the anticipation is palpable among racing enthusiasts and punters alike. For those looking to place a wager, horse racing betting sites are already buzzing with early odds and predictions.

Read on as we examine the early favourites for the St Leger, analysing their form and chances of securing victory in this illustrious contest.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles went into this season with high expectations. Unbeaten as a juvenile, the three-year-old won a maiden on debut in Tipperary last September before following up with a Group 1 win at Saint-Cloud in France on just his second start in October.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained horse made it three for three on his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown in May, staying on to beat his stablemate Euphoric in the Group 3 Derby Trail and that set up a crack at the Epsom showpiece in June.

Los Angeles was a respectable third in the Derby itself, finishing sixth lengths behind his fellow Coolmore companion, City Of Troy, who left the rest of the field in his wake, but returned home to win the Irish Derby at the Curragh later in the month.

The way Lost Angeles stayed on in the closing stages of that race, alongside his pedigree as a son of Camelot, suggests that the three-year-old should be fine with the additional two-and-a-half furlongs at Doncaster.

Illinois

O’Brien has won the St Leger seven times, including scoring in last year’s renewal with Continuous. The master of Ballydoyle dominates the market ahead of the 2024 edition, as Illinois is the second favourite behind Los Angeles.

While he hasn’t made as many headlines as some of the other Coolmore-owned stars this season, Illinois has still been a consistent performer—placing in all four of his outings and winning once.

Illinois was well-backed on his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown in April, going off at odds-on, but he made no impression in the closing stages, finishing a distant third behind Amo Racing’s Dallas Star and stablemate The Euphrates.

He still couldn’t justify favouritism when next seen in the Listed Derby Trial at Lingfield in May, finishing second to Ambiente Friendly and scuppering his Epsom hopes. However, Illinois finally got off the mark for the year on his third start at Ascot, winning the Group 2 Queen’s Vase over 1m6f.

A return to 1m4f for the Grand Prix de Paris last time out saw him finish second. Outpaced by Sosie, he stayed on well in the final furlong, suggesting that the St Leger is likely raced over his optimum distance.

The lightly-raced Jan Breughel, who was recently tested over 1m4f at Goodwood on just his third start, makes it a 1-2-3 in the market for O’Brien. Godolphin’s Bahrain Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom is next followed by Highbury, another of Coolmore’s three-year-olds.

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