Town Moor history beckons for Camelot in St Leger (From York Press)

Town Moor history beckons for Camelot in St Leger

10:17am Friday 14th September 2012 in Sport By Tom O'Ryan, Racing journalist

History is poised to be made at Doncaster tomorrow.

Camelot, winner of the 2,000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket in May and the Derby at Epsom over a mile-and-a-half in June, now stands on the threshold of becoming the first Triple Crown winner in Britain since Nijinsky in 1970, by capturing the Ladbrokes St Leger.

Trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O’Brien, Camelot has run at Doncaster only once previously.

Last October, he was head and shoulders over his rivals in the Racing Post Trophy, proving himself a top-notch juvenile and sending hopes through the roof of what he might achieve in his second season.

It takes a special horse to pull-off a Triple Crown, bearing in mind the length of season and the differing distances, and the record books confirm that only 15 individuals have achieved the feat in the past.

Camelot will again be ridden by Joseph O’Brien, 19-year-old son of Aidan.

Tomorrow, he can write his name into the annals of the turf by leaving his eight rivals in the shade in the season’s final Classic.

The Doncaster card, the final leg of a four-day Festival, also features the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap, a wide-open six furlong dash. Preference is for Picabo, trained by Henry Candy, a man who specialises in sprinters.

Picabo has really got his act together lately, winning his last two starts. This is a step further up the ladder, but he looks to have a decent draw in 14 and is selected to play a hand in a race that is likely to be decided by narrow margins.

Dundonnell looked a class act when winning the Acomb Stakes at York last month and Roger Charlton’s colt steps up to Group 2 level in the One Call Insurance Champagne Stakes.

Winner of his last two outings, Dundonnel, who carries the Frankel colours of Prince Khalid Abdulla, probably has most to fear from Toronado, unbeaten in two runs and highly rated by Richard Hannon, who won this race last year with Trumpet Major. Richard Fahey also runs Unsinkable, unbeaten in two starts, but facing a steep rise in class.

Chris Dwyer, who saddled Patriotic to win the Leger Legends here on Wednesday, has every chance of following up with Mia’s Boy in the opening Harriett Powell Handicap.

Although he’s in the autumn of his career, the eight-year-old finished a good third at Newbury recently and clearly retains plenty of ability.

Also worth noting on Town Moor are Majestic Myles (4.15), representing Fahey and Paul Hanagan, and Tony Coyle’s New Hampshire (5.20), a winner for his Norton trainer last time out.

At Chester, Time And Place is napped to win the Hertz Car Hire Nursery in the hands of Jimmy Quinn.

The Fahey-trained youngster got off the mark on his second outing at Pontefract last month and now ventures into handicap company. He does not look overburdened and, nicely drawn, he looks poised to make a bold show.

In the Minstrell Recruitment Stand Cup, a Listed race, Fahey’s Area Fifty One is fancied.

 

Racing selections

Doncaster (tomorrow) 
1.50 Mia’s Boy, 2.25 Dundonnell, 3.00 Picabo, 3.40 Camelot, 4.15 Majestic Myles, 4.50 Hoarding, 5.20 New Hampshire.

Chester (tomorrow) 
1.40 Cruise Tothelimit, 2.10 Verse Of Love, 2.40 Area Fifty One, 3.20 Gabrial’s Kaka, 3.55 Time And Place (NAP), 4.30 My Single Malt, 5.05 Darling Lexi, 5.35 First Class Favour.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Bath, Kempton and Newcastle.

Today’s meetings: Chester, Doncaster, Sandown and Wolverhampton.