Saturday marks the 250th anniversary of the first running of the Betfred St Leger and the world’s oldest Classic deserves a party to celebrate the landmark.
Once the biggest show in town, it’s appeal to owners and trainers has waned in recent times with the obsession for speed and precocity clear as day at both the breeding sheds and sales. At one time a Leger success was a badge of honour for a potential stallion, now plenty see it as a black mark.
The flourishing Irish Champions Festival has parked its tank on the Doncaster lawn and the strength of the fields attracted there means the battle for media coverage is tougher than ever.
And the dearth of big name, home-trained runners has hardly helped either. The major British breeding operations seem unable to produce top-quality middle-distance horses to any significant degree while the autumn shopping sprees of some of those at the top table, and others aspiring to be there, has fallen way short too.
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