Galileo’s Order of St George Routs Irish Leger Rivals

NEW ORDER
Bringing up a Ballydoyle clean sweep of the trio of Group 1 races on The Curragh’s star-studded Sunday card, Michael Tabor’s Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) demolished some distinguished older opposition in the G1 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger to add to the Doncaster St Leger acquired 24 hours earlier by stable companion Bondi Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Held up in rear early by Joseph O’Brien, the 5-4 favorite who had been so impressive when winning the G3 Irish St Leger Trial S. over this track and trip Aug. 23 crept into contention without any stress and sliced his way between rivals just before the three-furlong pole. In front soon after, the bay who would arguably have been a clear-cut winner of the Doncaster Classic hung down towards the fence but kept extending his lead and hit the line with 11 lengths to spare over Agent Murphy (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). In a sad postscript, last year’s winner Brown Panther (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) was pulled up injured in the backstretch and had to be euthanized. “He’s been getting more impressive with every run this year and it’s unusual to have a stayer that can quicken the way he does,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said of the winner, who could be the new leading force in the staying category to follow the likes of the stable’s Yeats (Ire), Fame and Glory (GB) and Leading Light (Ire). “He’s a very exciting horse who travels strongly and has a lot of options.”

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
PALMERSTOWN HOUSE ESTATE IRISH ST LEGER-G1, €350,000, CUR, 9-13, 3yo/up, 14fT, 3:03.19, gd.
1–&ORDER OF ST GEORGE (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Another Storm, by Gone West
2nd Dam: Storm Song, by Summer Squall
3rd Dam: Hum Along, by Fappiano
($550,000 Ylg ‘13 KEESEP). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Paget Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Joseph O’Brien. €203,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-3-0, $334,144. *1/2 to Asperity (War Chant), GSW-Fr & GSP-Eng, $245,483; Angel Terrace (Ghostzapper), GSW-US, $298,848; and Sehoy (Menifee), SW-Swe, $144,199. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Agent Murphy (GB), 137, c, 4, Cape Cross (Ire)–Raskutani (GB), by Dansili (GB). (7,000gns Ylg ‘12 TAOCT). O-W A Harrison-Allan; B-Wellsummers Stud (GB); T-Brian Meehan. €70,000.
3–Wicklow Brave (GB), 137, g, 6, Beat Hollow (GB)–Moraine (GB), by Rainbow Quest. (€11,000 Ylg ‘10 TATSPT; €43,000 3yo ‘12 TIJUN). O-Wicklow Bloodstock (Ireland) Ltd; B-Millsec Ltd (GB); T-Willie Mullins. €35,000.
Margins: 11, NK, HF. Odds: 1.25, 6.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Second Step (Ire), Forgotten Rules (Ire), Gospel Choir (GB), Sea Moon (GB), Kingfisher (Ire), Vent de Force (GB), Good Tradition (Ire). DNF: Brown Panther (GB). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Engaged in the English Leger and apparently set to run until Aidan O’Brien made a late switch on Friday, Order of St George was the subject of a major gamble on Sunday and gave his supporters little concern throughout. Looking back through his form, the manner of his win on his third maiden start when upwards of 8 1/2 lengths too strong for some moderate rivals on soft ground over a mile at Leopardstown last August suggested he could be a stayer with class but he was only fifth in the G3 Autumn S. at that trip at Newmarket in October. Second over nine furlongs in the Listed Eyrefield S. back at Leopardstown later that month, he reappeared in the G3 Curragh Cup over this track and trip and lost out only by a short head to Bondi Beach before taking a 13-furlong Down Royal conditions event July 24 and storming to an emphatic Irish St Leger Trial win back on his favored testing surface. Looking every bit as if he was up against minor-league opposition as Joseph O’Brien picked and chose his passage through on the home turn, Order of St George powered away from some of the season’s more accomplished middle-distance and staying performers to place himself towards the top of his stable’s pecking order of 3-year-olds. “They went hard up front and [Joseph] put him asleep and sneaked through lovely,” his conditioner said. “We may have a look at the two-mile race at Ascot [the Oct. 17 G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup] with him.” The demise of the 7-year-old Brown Panther, who it was revealed had suffered a fractured hind leg, cast a long shadow over proceedings and Paul Hensey, general manager at The Curragh, explained the situation. “Brown Panther sustained a hind leg injury. He was quickly attended by the vets on site and the decision was made to euthanise him.”