Idaho: is set to go off a short-priced favourite for the St Leger

PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Three vulnerabilities Idaho must overcome

Idaho is set to go off a short-priced favourite for the Ladbrokes St Leger on Saturday but is he a sure thing for the world’s oldest Classic? Here are three vulnerabilities he must overcome.

The trip
The gruelling 1m6f132y trip is a question hanging over many St Leger contenders, however Idaho has arguably the most to prove as the only one of the nine that will line up not to have raced beyond 1m4f.

RELATED LINKS,   Idaho form 

He will have to overcome several proven stayers who have already won over a distance at least that of the St Leger, including stablemate and Queen’s Vase winner Sword Fighter.

Although by Galileo, he is out of a Danehill mare who is more renowned for producing good quality sprinters and milers.

A potential for ease in the going
Officials at Doncaster had been braced for heavy rain throughout Friday night but the worst of the weather made its way south of the racecourse, with only 1mm falling by early on Saturday morning. As a result, the going remains good, good to firm in places.

The prospect for further rain remains, however and clerk of the course Roderick Duncan refused to rule out a change before the big race at 3.45.

“The forecast has been so far out so far, I’m not going to risk saying that [conditions will not ease],” he said.

Both of Idaho’s victories came on good to firm ground, and although he appeared not to be overly inconvenienced by some ease in the surface when finishing second to Harzand in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown and third in the Derby, he is yet to win without firm in the description and could find one too good once again with rivals Sword Fighter, Muntahaa and Ventura Storm set to relish softer ground.

O’Brien favourites
While Aidan O’Brien dominated the St Leger in the early part of the millennium with Milan (2001), Brian Boru (2003) and Scorprion (2005) all victorious, the Ballydoyle trainer has saddled five favourites in the race over the last ten years – with Leading Light his solitary success in 2013.

Last year Bondi Beach was first awarded the race in the stewards’ room before losing it retrospectively as the 2-1 joint favourite, and Camelot was as short as 2-5 when denied the Triple Crown by Encke in 2012.

13-8 favourite Honolulu placed third in 2007 and Frozen Fire could only finish seventh as the 9-4 favourite in 2008.

Is Found the key to the Irish Champion Stakes?

SATURDAY’S Qipco Irish Champion Stakes has all the ingredients to be a race of the ages. But with so much high-class form colliding at Leopardstown, unravelling the puzzle could be a tricky task. We take a look at the collateral formlines and ask if Found is the key?

Found’s significance?

The ultra-consistent Found is one of nine Group 1 winners in this incredible field and she brings form of the highest calibre to the table. Crucially, much of it collates with that of her rivals and, based on these formlines, the race starts to take shape – and suggests a surprise winner.

RELATED LINKS,   Irish Champion Stakes card 

That is because, based on her neck defeat at the hands of My Dream Boat in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, Hawkbill is five and a half lengths her superior, putting him straight to the head of affairs.

How so? Well, while Hawkbill will be meeting Found for the first time on Saturday, the thumping of in excess of five lengths he dished out to an admittedly below-par My Dream Boat in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown leaves his rivals with a bit to find.

Found’s form ties with many of her rivals

 PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Derby form

Chief among those who could have a job on their hands is Harzand, who formlines suggest has a length and a quarter to make up on Hawkbill, if indeed Found’s form is to be taken at face value.

Like Hawkbill, he has never raced against Found but he did beat John Gosden’s Wings Of Desire by seven and three-quarter lengths in the Derby at Epsom.

This is significant because when Wings Of Desire took on Highland Reel in the King George - he was beaten only a length and a quarter, meaning Harzand is six and a half lengths ahead of Highland Reel.

Found met Highland Reel in this very race 12 months ago and got the better of him by two and three-quarter lengths, so all of that suggests she is four and a quarter lengths inferior to Harzand.

Incidentally, the basic maths is franked by another formline. Success Days has been beaten by Found twice, losing by a length and a quarter in the Mooresbridge and finishing a length and a half behind her in this year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup. He also beat Moonlight Magic by three and a quarter lengths last time out in the Royal Whip.

That puts Moonlight Magic four and three-quarter lengths behind Found and eight and a half lengths behind Harzand, which is the exact distance he was beaten by Dermot Weld’s colt in the Irish Derby.

What about Minding?

She has been one of the undisputed stars of 2016 but Found brings bad news for Minding as on a line through Bocca Baciata the Oaks heroine has a length and a quarter to find on Found – and almost seven to turn around with our winner, Hawkbill.

On a line through Bocca Baciata Minding has a bit to find

PICTURE: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

The Jessica Harrington-trained four-year-old came home four and a half lengths behind Minding when the pair met in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh earlier in the season. However, Found was too good for Bocca Baciata – to the tune of five and three-quarter lengths – in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the same venue on her previous start.

Others to note

The Found form lines should boost the mood in the New Bay camp, with last year’s Prix Du Jockey Club winner two and three-quarter lengths clear of her based on the form of last year’s brilliant Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The Grey Gatsby would have slim hopes of repeating his famous 2014 upset in this race, though, having been beaten by Found not only here last year but by four and a quarter lengths in the Prince Of Wales’s.

On a line through Postponed, Found’s stablemate Sir Isaac Newton could be given half a chance, but he looks to have a mountain to climb based on his pair of defeats at the hands of Highland Reel.

Almanzor: is the unknown quantity in the race

PICTURE: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The unknown quantity

Of course, not every theory is perfect and there is an Almanzor-shaped hole in this one.

The French Derby hero has very little in the way of relevant form with Found but, at a stretch, he could be said to be level with Found.

Here’s how: Almanzor got the better of Zarak by a length and a half in the French Derby, who in turn finished six and a half lengths behind The Gurkha in the French 2,000 Guineas over a mile.

The Gurkha met Hawkbill at Sandown, where he was beaten only half a length, putting Almanzor five and a half lengths behind Godolphin’s colt, the same as Found.

So it’s as simple as that. Or is it?

Sheikhzayedroad (red cap) gets the better of Quest For More in a photo

PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Sheikhzayedroad lands Doncaster Cup thriller

Report: Doncaster, Friday,   250th Doncaster Cup (Group 2) 2m2f, 3yo+

THE 250th anniversary of the Doncaster Cup provided a finish that may not have been matched too many times in the race’s history as Sheikhzayedroad denied Quest For More in a thriller.

RELATED LINKS,   Doncaster Cup result 

The 100-30 winner emerged by a nose following a photo-finish that left his connections elated and those of the second deflated.

Ridden by George Baker, Lonsdale Cup winner Quest For More was sent into the lead early and stayed there until it mattered most as Martin Harley conjured a courageous effort from the David Simcock-trained seven-year-old, who rallied in the closing stages to reel in his front-running rival.

Harley, securing his first win in the £100,000 Group 2, said: “He’s run some very good races this year and got a good gallop today. Fair play to the old boy as he keeps producing the goods – him and David.

“When I went to George’s horse he [Quest For More] picked up again and I didn’t want to be hitting the front three out because my fella’s a bit quirky, but he’s tough and he put his head down at the right place at the right time.”

Harley, who finished third on Sheikhzayedroad in the Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup this term, was not worried about getting the verdict from the judge.

“I knew I’d won,” he added. “I thought it was a head or a short-head, I didn’t think it was a nose.”

Simcock, who has campaigned the Dubawi gelding in Dubai and North America, had the look of a man not so confident of the result, but delighted with it.

“He’s been consistent all his life,” he said.

Sheikhzayedroad and Martin Harleyreturn to the winner’s enclosure PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

“He’s tough, an old warrior and we absolutely love him to bits. We don’t over-race him – maybe six times a year – and he’ll have one more race this year be it in Canada or at Ascot then he’ll go to Dubai in the spring. He takes no training and is as slow as a hearse at home, but he is very loveable and very special to the yard.

“It’s wonderful and everybody loves watching these stayers – you could give me ten of these horses all day long over five-furlong horses; they’re fun to watch and fun to train.”

Sheikhzayedroad’s option in Canada is the Grade 1 1m4f Canadian International he was third in last year, but he might meet Quest For More if he heads to Ascot for the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup on October 15.

Roger Charlton, who trains the runner-up and was using his racecard as a whip in the home straight, said: “It’s great to see a race like that and he was incredibly brave. He’s not entered in the Melbourne Cup and if the ground’s suitably quick at Ascot we’ll go there. If not we’ll go to Dubai.”

DONCASTER RESULTS 9 settembre 2016

GOING: GOOD (Good to firm in places; 8.0). Weather conditions: Cloudy. 
STALLS: Straight – Centre; Round – Inside