By Tom Frary
There was a moment in the closing stages of Doncaster's G1 St Leger on Saturday that summed up the state of affairs at Coolmore in this pivotal era. As Galileo's final Classic runner Stay True loomed to Justify's Scandinavia, the Classic briefly looked in the balance but it was ultimately the son of the operation's heir apparent and not of the departed giant who earned the statement win.
At the line, Tom Marquand had secured a neck success for Aidan O'Brien's third in succession and ninth overall in this prize from the latecomer Rahiebb (Frankel) with Stay True a length back in third. Justify has now sired the winners of the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger from his initial offerings at stud in what is an unprecedented success story.
O'Brien is thinking of another high-profile staying test this year for the winner. “He's in the Melbourne Cup and that's a possibility,” he said. “He has to go and get scanned to see if he's eligible, but there's every chance the lads might want to go down there with him. He's a typical Justify, very, very genuine and the drier the ground the better you'll see him and I think there's plenty more to come. Every week he's getting better.”
“He's hardy and Tom gave him a great ride–we were a little worried when the ground went on the slow side, but we're over the moon,” he added of the winner before turning his attention to the third and fourth. “Stay True ran a stormer and is going to improve and Lambourn ran an okay race–he's had a tough season.”
Scandinavia, who was only seventh in the mile maiden on this card 12 months ago, had only really begun to live up to early expectations in Newmarket's Bahrain Trophy at the July Festival when he surged to an emphatic 8 1/2-length win on quick summer ground. By the time he edged out Illinois in the Goodwood Cup, Leger favouritism was assured but there was a wavering of faith on Saturday morning as more rain came and it was the Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) who threatened that position.
That stablemate was the first rival Scandinavia had to subdue up the long straight and he hadn't even managed that before Carmers (Wootton Bassett) emerged to his right. It was a case of two down, two to go from there as Stay True emerged and then the rail-running Rahiebb who had looked a certain lost cause heading to the furlong pole. Despite the strong effort of Roger Varian's runner heading to the line, Scandinavia was unwilling to relinquish an inch in a real attritional renewal of the oldest Classic.
“He's got the most beautiful temperament–speaking to Aidan O'Brien, Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan, the thing they all said was just how straightforward he was,” explained Marquand said after steering his second Leger winner after Galileo Chrome five years ago. “The ground is hard work and they all came to have a go at him, but he covered them all.”
“He stays extremely well, as he showed at Goodwood, but I thought today was a real show of his tenacity on that ground,” his rider added. “He's a beautiful mover and it's probably fair to say he's still got that little bit of innocence, if not immaturity. It's special to be aboard today–I'm privileged.”
Rahiebb's trainer Roger Varian said of the runner-up, “I'm proud and delighted with the horse, but gutted to be honest. Watching it, I thought most of the way round he was going to run well and finish strong. With a furlong to run I thought he'd get there, but congratulations to the winner, he's a very good horse.”
“He took a while to come to hand and even in his very good run at Royal Ascot in the [Queen's] Vase, he did most things wrong that day,” he added. “He was still learning on the job today. I have to give a shout out to Tony Procter, who rides him out every day at home, as he's not always easy. He's a lovely horse and I'm looking forward to him next year. I'd have thought that would be it for the year, he got going in February and didn't race as a two-year-old, he's all about next year.”
Pedigree Notes
Scandinavia's pedigree is one for the big occasions, with his unraced dam Fabulous (Galileo) being one of the progeny out of the renowned Mariah's Storm (Rahy). Her two Stakes performers prior to this Classic hero were American Pharoah's G1 Prix Saint-Alary, G2 Blandford Stakes and G2 Prix Corrida winner Above The Curve and the dual Group 3-placed Thinking Of You.
Mariah's Storm's seven Storm Cat offerings included six Stakes performers headed by one of Aidan O'Brien's earliest greats in Giant's Causeway. His Group 2-winning full-sister You'resothrilling excelled in her second career, producing Galileo's Classic winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Joan Of Arc, as well as the fellow Group 1 performers Happily, Taj Mahal, Coolmore and Toy.
One of Mariah's Storm's daughters of Galileo, Butterflies, is responsible for War Front's G2 Balanchine Stakes runner-up Yet who is the dam of the yard's juvenile sensation Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett). The only one of Mariah's Storm's Storm Cat progeny who did not make it at Stakes level was Pearling, but she made up for that shortfall by throwing Galileo's Irish Champion-winning sire Decorated Knight. Her penultimate foal Fabulous also has a yearling colt by No Nay Never and filly foal by Siyouni.
Saturday, Doncaster, Britain
BETFRED ST LEGER-G1, £700,000, Doncaster, 9-13, 3yo, c/f, 14f 115yT, 3:04.63, sf.
1–SCANDINAVIA, 129, c, 3, by Justify
1st Dam: Fabulous (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mariah's Storm, by Rahy
3rd Dam: Immense, by Roberto
O-Mr M Tabor, D Smith & Mrs John Magnier;
B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Tom
Marquand. £396,970. Lifetime Record: 8-4-1-1, $1,093,001.
*1/2 to Above The Curve (American Pharoah), G1SW-Fr, GSW
& G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $722,180. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree,
or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rahiebb (GB), 129, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Playful Sound (GB), by
Street Cry (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (240,000gns RNA
Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Newsells
Park Stud; T-Roger Varian. £150,500.
3–Stay True (Ire), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Bounce (GB), by
Bahamian Bounty (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP
1 BLACK TYPE. (400,000gns Wlg '22 TADEWE). O-Westerberg,
Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor & D Smith; B-Newstead Breeding;
T-Aidan O'Brien. £75,320.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 2.00, 14.00, 5.50.
Also Ran: Lambourn (Ire), Carmers (Ire), Furthur (Ire), Tarriance (GB).
SCANDINAVIA HANGS TOUGH TO WIN THE BETFRED ST LEGER! pic.twitter.com/SLFsKk6TCo
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 13, 2025
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
