Ursa Major winning smoothly at the Curragh last month
PICTURE: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos), BY TONY O’HEHIR6:12PM 12 SEP 2012
URSA MAJOR continued his climb up the Ladbrokes St Leger market on Wednesday as jockey Johnny Murtagh confirmed he is hoping to tackle both the Doncaster showpiece and the Gain Horse Feeds Irish St Leger on Saturday in a bid for a rare Classic double.
Murtagh will fly by helicopter from Doncaster to the Curragh to take in both Group 1 events.
Ireland’s former champion jockey will ride the Tommy Carmody-trained Ursa Major, winner of the Group 3 Irish St Leger Trial last month, for Andrew Tinkler in the Doncaster Classic at 3.40pm, before teaming up with Royal Diamond, the Ebor runner-up and a 12-1 shot for Saturday’s race, for the same owner-trainer combination in the Curragh event due off at 6.05pm.
Boylesports trimmed Ursa Major to 16-1 (from 25) having been 33-1 on Tuesday, and to 8-1 (from 12) in their market without red-hot favourite Camelot.
Heading in an opposite direction, at least with Betfair, was Great Voltigeur winner Thought Worthy, out to 20-1 on the exchange as punters awaited news from trainer John Gosden and jockey William Buick concerning riding arrangements for him and stablemate Michelangelo.
Eddie Byrne, Murtagh’s agent, said on Wednesday: “The plan is in place for Johnny to ride in both St Legers.”
Murtagh, who will be seeking a first St Leger win at Doncaster, completed a full book of Irish Classic wins when riding Jukebox Jury to dead-heat with Duncan in the Irish St Leger a year ago.
Camelot remained a general 1-3 favourite to seal an unprecedented Classic clean sweep for trainer Aidan O’Brien in Britain, but ground conditions may be different from those expected after the official going at Doncaster changed to good, good to soft in places (from good to firm).
“The jockeys reported that it was riding on the soft side and it has opened it up,” said clerk of the course Jon Pullin. “The forecast is for it to clear up and then for it to stay dry until Saturday.”
Over at the Curragh the going remained yielding to soft. Racecourse manager Paul Hensey said: “We had a light shower at lunch time but it has been dry otherwise.The forecast for the next few days is quite good and we are expecting the ground to improve as we get closer to Saturday.”
3:40 p.m. eng time, Doncaster, SAT 15 SEP 2012
| NO. DRAW | HORSE | AGE | WGT | TRAINER RTF% | JOCKEY | OR | TS | RPR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11-111 | Camelot77  |
3 | 9-0 | A P O´Brien73 | 124 | 134 | 142 | |
| 2 | 611 | Chamonix5 | 3 | 9-0 | A P O´Brien73 | — | 105 | 125 | |
| 3 | 325375 | Dartford28 | 3 | 9-0 | John Gosden86 | Robert Havlin | 74 | 74 | 102 |
| 4 | 21-123 | Encke24 | 3 | 9-0 | Mahmood Al Zarooni65 | Mickael Barzalona | 112 | 113 | 129 |
| 5 | 2111 | Guarantee21 | 3 | 9-0 | William Haggas63 | Phillip Makin | 105 | 123 | 125 |
| 6 | 1-181 | Imperial Monarch63 | 3 | 9-0 | A P O´Brien73 | 116 | 120 | 132 | |
| 7 | 11242 | Main Sequence24  |
3 | 9-0 | David Lanigan | Ted Durcan | 115 | 124 | 132 |
| 8 | 3113 | Michelangelo46 |
3 | 9-0 | John Gosden86 | 111 | 112 | 125 | |
| 9 | 1-5115 | Thomas Chippendale24 | 3 | 9-0 | Sir Henry Cecil62 | Tom Queally | 111 | 114 | 130 |
| 10 | 21431 | Thought Worthy24 | 3 | 9-0 | John Gosden86 | 115 | 112 | 133 | |
| 11 | 212111 | Ursa Major21 | 3 | 9-0 | Thomas Carmody100 | 111 | 111 | 128 | |
