John Gosden admits Logician faces a step as he wants to provide him with a fifth victory at the William Hill St Leger.
It’s 23 years since the master of Clarehaven acquired the world’s oldest grey . He has added to his tally with three wins in five decades courtesy of Lucarno (2007), Arctic Cosmos (2010) Masked Marvel (2011).
In winning his first few starts, the Khalid Abdullah-owned Logician produced his debut in May, but created a large belief – with a similarly screen being sandwiched by a pair of emphatic wins at Newbury at Newmarket.
The son of Frankel graduated having a victory in the the Great Voltigeur in York also will line up at Doncaster on Saturday.
“He has been in great shape since York. He is very much a work in advance and didn’t begin racing until late in life,” said Gosden.
“I believed back May he might be a Leger horse. He even won a maiden down at Newbury, then a 0-90 disability back in Newbury and then a rookie over a mile and a quarter in the July course, when it was the very first time he was ridden by Frankie. He’s come a very long way in a brief time.
“He awakened again at the Great Voltigeur, and we were very satisfied with him.
“He’s fine in addition to the ground, there is no doubt he is a better horse on good, easy side of good, but might go for a few others.”
Gosden believes the decision rather give him a while to grow continues to be key in his development and to not operate Logician as a two-year-old.
He said:”He came to us fairly late, and that I believe giving him this time has profited him.
“He is a wonderful horse to be around. He is a character and contains a stride.
“I feel the fine, long straight at Doncaster must suit him well.”
Both clear questions hanging over Logician going into the Town Moor showpiece are whether his shortage of encounter that is big-race may prove his undoing, and if his stamina will continue out over the one-mile-six-furlong space.
Assessing both facets, Gosden added:”We’ve been lucky to win the Leger four occasions, and those horses were seasoned than him. It’s a proper evaluation of a thoroughbred over that excursion – the 185 yards might be quite telling, and also that the one-mile-six is some thing.
“You always know you going into uncharted lands with a youthful horse like him. It isn’t like he’s acquired a trial.
“He gives me the hints, as he’s really relaxed, he will stay ”
As always, Gosden is respectful of the resistance – giving special reference who claimed his fifth win from six starts this season in the month March Stakes.
He said:”I think it’s a solid renewal. You own a horse on the market that won the March Stakes and remained on. That has been a race I observed attentively, because we were second in it (with Promissory).
“It will probably be an end-to-end gallop, and that is not a bad thing as it thins out the field.
“You can get trouble in conducting, and I remember a few horses which have been unfortunate not to win there. I shall leave all that to the horse and Frankie – .
“When you find the horses that are still rolling between the two-furlong mark and also the one, which will inform us exactly what sort of caliber Leger it’s.”
Dragon to fire
Il Paradiso and sir Dragonet give Aidan O’Brien a solid hand.
The Ballydoyle handler maintained his sixth victory from the Town Moor showpiece with Kew Gardens 12 months past – adding to his past triumphs with Milan (2001), Brian Boru (2003), Scorpion (2005), Leading Lighting (2013) and Capri (2017).
Chester Vase winner Sir Dragonet has had this year tilts at Classic glory , completing a close-up fifth when favourite in June for the Investec Derby at Epsom.
He had been defeated at odds-on on his return from a midsummer fracture in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh last month, however, O’Brien believes his bill will likely strip much healthier on Saturday – and is convinced the step up to a mile and three-quarters will not be an problem.
Assessing the principal market rival to the John Gosden-trained Logician, O’Brien said:”Sir Dragonet is a horse which has a lot of class.
“He was just ready to start back at the Curragh. He got a bit exhausted, which he had been entitled to do. I was being really attentive and gentle .
“He has never run anything under a mile and a half an hour, aside from the last day over a mile and a quarter. We started him and that we believe there is a great chance.
“I really don’t believe he is ground dependent. He ran before Epsom on earth, which was floor, and he also came out of the perfect.
“There is no doubt his best run was his Epsom run”
Sir Dragonet Il Paradiso has proved his stamina, having generated a performance when third behind celebrity older stayer Stradivarius in the Lonsdale Cup last month over two miles.
“He remains really well and looks like a horse that will find a Gold Cup excursion – he seems like he will get two and a half miles,” O’Brien added.
“I presume he is going to be happy . He doesn’t mind being spat ahead. You’d be riding him like you are sure that he will stay and the other (Sir Dragonet) you’ll be taking your time using a bit, I’d imagine.”
O’Brien also saddles outsider Western Australia.
Sir Ron Priestley has won five of his six starts this season – his blip. Mark Johnston’s fee is unbeaten in three following appearances and steps up to Group 1 degree for the first time.
Johnston, with a second string to his bow in Nayef Road, said:”He (Sir Ron Priestley) has a great deal to locate, and it might need to become a career-best, but he wants to be there.
“He’s done nearly everything right in the lower doses, with the exception of Royal Ascot. Today he has got to step up to the significant one.
“I don’t dismiss the Leger, because I have run some high horses in it and they have been beaten. We know he receives the excursion, so we haven’t any doubts about him .
“Most of them in there’ll be getting the trip they are course horses, so they need to do. He stays the trip quite well and can be a genuine horse.”
Martyn Meade’s Geoffrey Freer winner Tech and Dashing Willoughby, from Andrew Balding’s yard, complete the area.
Balding said of the Royal Ascot winner:”He has run well at Newmarket on Goodwood on fast ground so he does not need to have it soft.
“He has run to a fair level all year and been really consistent, so I would hope he’d run well.”
