Timeform view on the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster including tactics, form and pedigree for the trip

Horse Racing

Wed September 09, 2026 · 2d ago

David Cleary maps out the Timeform view on Saturday's Betfred St Leger, providing thoughts on the form, tactics and pedigree for the extended distance.

St Leger Stakes, Doncaster, one mile six furlongs 115 yards, 3yo colts and fillies

The fifth and final classic of the season. The first four come within a five-week spell in the spring/early-summer, then there is a three-month gap until the Betfred St Leger, plenty of time for a late-maturing stayer to emerge.

Unlike its copies in Ireland and France, the St Leger remains a true classic, open only to three-year-old colts and fillies. This sometimes means it struggles for relevance, and obvious candidates for the race, such as Los Angeles or Cracksman in recent years, or Maltese Cross this year, give the race a swerve for a more commercial target.

Best winning performances on Timeform ratings since 2001

127 Conduit Kew Gardens
126 Hurricane Lane Milan
125 Bollin Eric Rule of Law
124 Brian Boru Capri

Like many a Group 1, the story of the St Leger in the 21st century is dominated by Aidan O'Brien. His stable supplies both quantity and quality of runners. His seven winners since 2001 include four of the top eight on Timeform ratings and he rarely has just a single runner. 2022 was an exception, when O'Brien fielded just the filly Emily Dickinson.

It is rare for a Derby winner to contest the Leger, though Christmas Day would be a second consecutive one, after Lambourn took his chance in 2025. Reference Point in 1987 was the last to complete the double. Camelot's bid in 2012 to become the first Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky in 1970 was foiled by Encke.

For depth, the best running of the St Leger in the last decade would be Capri's race in 2019. He beat Crystal Ocean and Stradivarius, with the subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Rewilding in fourth and the filly Coronet, a dual Group 1 winner at four, in fifth. The following year's Coronation Cup winner Defoe was also in the field.

It's unlikely to be relevant this year, but the last St Leger winner to achieve a rating of 130 in the race was Snurge in 1990.

READ: Betfair St Leger preview and tips

Tactics

Action is the most obvious pacemaker among the potential Ballydoyle team, though a tendency to start slowly is not a great fit for a horse employed to force the tempo. He had to work to get to the front in the Irish Derby and never got there after missing the break in the Great Voltigeur.

Piazza San Marco was a front runner at two, including when a pacemaker in the Criterium International, and seems likely to be employed in that role again. Of the two principal Ballydoyle contenders, Christmas Day tends to be ridden more prominently than Pierre Bonnard.

Enceladus, the other at the head of the market, has raced in touch in winning both the King George V Handicap and the Gordon Stakes. His stable companion Highwayman is likely to be ridden prominently behind the pacemakers.

Trip/Ground

The St Leger distance of an extended mile and three quarters is generally a new test for the majority of those lining up. This is understandable, given there are limited pattern opportunities beyond a mile and five furlongs prior to the St Leger – the Queen's Vase and the Goodwood Cup the main ones. The trip will be a new test for the trio at the head of the market.

Of those to have tried at least a mile and three quarters, Galiyan finished sixth in the Queen's Vase, his effectiveness at the trip remaining open to question. The filly Amelia Earhart was a creditable fifth in the Lillie Langtry at Goodwood. At a slightly lower level there is the Vinnie Roe Stakes, a Listed race at Leopardstown in August, which is where Highwayman made his most recent start.

The Doncaster going at the time of writing is described as 'Good to Soft'. The weather forecast doesn't suggest the going getting significantly softer, and if the courses misses showers then it presumably might be closer to 'Good'.

The one horse among the market leaders for whom ground tending towards 'Soft' raises a slight question is Enceladus. He shaped with promise on softish ground last year, but his best form, at Royal Ascot and Goodwood, is on pretty firm going.

Pedigree

It's perhaps fitting that three of Aidan O'Brien's entries are sons or daughters of Camelot. Christmas Day is by Camelot out of a Sea The Stars mare and leaves the impression he will relish the extra distance. Pierre Bonnard is also out of a mare by a Derby winner – Sultanina, the Nassau Stakes-winning daughter of New Approach. Pierre Bonnard's year-older half-sister Crepe Suzette (by Saxon Warrior) ran well in the Park Hill a year ago.

Enceladus is another who ought to have no stamina concerns. He is a son of Sea The Stars. His half-brother Moab (by Camelot) won over a mile and three quarters on the Flat and stays two and a half miles over hurdles.

Hatteen, a son of Lope de Vega, doesn't have much in his pedigree to think that the St Leger distance would suit him, though his dam is by Galileo, a factor which can often be enough.

The maiden Alderman, who finished fifth in the Derby, is as stoutly bred as any in the field.

WATCH: Hatteen finishes second in Goodwood handicap over 1m4f

Unlimited Replays

of all UK and Irish races with our Race Replays

Discover Sporting Life Plus Benefits Sporting Life Plus - Join For Free

Form

There are three that stand out on form coming into the race. Two of those, Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard are already proven at the highest level, with Christmas Day winning the Derby and Pierre Bonnard the Criterium de Saint-Cloud as a two-year-old.

The pair have met no fewer than four times this year and the edge lies narrowly with Christmas Day. The only time Pierre Bonnard managed to finish ahead of Christmas Day was in the Great Voltigeur last time out, where the Derby winner carried a 5lb penalty. On a strict reading of that form, Christmas Day ran to a marginally higher rating.

Enceladus is taking a step up in class, but his form in winning the Gordon Stakes puts him pretty close to the other two. Unlike the O'Brien pair, he's most progressive and more likely to improve again, for all that the other two could improve for the extra distance.

Highwayman and Hatteen are taking an even steeper rise in class and their form looks around 10lb shy of the other three. That said, both have progressive profiles and it's not out of the question that they are able to bridge the gap.

Both Enceladus and Highwayman have similar profiles to Joseph O'Brien's previous St Leger winner, Galileo Chrome, who was unbeaten in three starts at three, none of them in higher than listed company. He, though, won in the Covid-affected year, 2020, and is the lowest rated by Timeform of all the St Leger winners this century.

The imposing Pierre Bonnard

Case For The Contenders

Christmas Day: might have caused something of a surprise when winning the Derby, but he's backed up that effort since in the Irish Derby and Great Voltigeur, and with the winners of those two races not in the line-up, he is marginally the right favourite; could well relish the extra distance.

Pierre Bonnard: hasn't managed to win in five starts this year, though is closely matched with Christmas Day on his running the last twice, a neck behind him in the Irish Derby and ahead of him, receiving 5lb, in the Great Voltigeur; likely to be well suited by the step up in trip.

Enceladus: form at a lower level reads well and isn't far off that shown by Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard; open to improvement, particularly with the step up in trip.

Highwayman: isn't that stoutly bred and made his debut in the spring over seven furlongs; however, he's shown himself a stayer in winning his last two outings; already proven at a mile and three quarters; looks sure to make further improvement.

Hatteen: took five starts to win a race, but has a generally progressive profile; unfortunate not to follow up his maiden win in a Class 2 handicap at Goodwood last time; that was a smart effort, but he has a huge gap to bridge in this company; not so stoutly bred as most of the others.

READ: Loughnane relishing Enceladus ride