Leading The Way

LEADING THE WAY 
Unbeaten beyond a mile and a half and undoubtedly one of the hardest horses in training, Derrick Smith’s Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) heads to post for today’s G1 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger to do it all again against some old adversaries and fresh opposition. Like the past heavyweights of this staying test, he shares a rare enthusiasm for battle and a deep reserve of courage, as he proved when conquering Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) in the Royal Ascot’s G1 Gold Cup June 19. To typecast him as a pure stayer would be an injustice, as he possesses the Classic speed required to win Doncaster’s St Leger and also take the G3 Irish St Leger Trial over this track and trip last time Aug. 24. Bidding to become the first since Touching Wood in 1982 to win both English and Irish St Legers, he is joined for the task by a doting Joseph O’Brien, who said, “He seems to have come on for his prep race at the Curragh, where he idled in front as he always does but won nicely,” he said. “Ground or trip is not a massive thing and he’s uncomplicated ride–I can ride him handy or take my time and that makes my job very easy.” 
On the face of it, there is little chance of the veteran 2012 winner Royal Diamond (Ire) (King’s Best) reversing form with Ballydoyle’s flagbearer meeting him on five pounds worse terms than the Irish Leger Trial, but Pale Mimosa (Ire)(Singspiel {Ire}) is one who is still unexposed in this company. Coming of age when beating Estimate in the two-mile G2 Lonsdale Cup at York last time Aug. 22, Dr Ronan Lambe’s 5-year-old is probably better than her seventh placing in this race 12 months ago. “She’s a quickly improving mare, she’s lightly raced and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her yet,” jockey Pat Smullen told PA Sport. “Her best run was probably her last start at York so, provided the ground is safe and she’s in good form, then I think she goes there with a good chance.” 
Third to Royal Diamond two years ago, Michael Owen’s Brown Panther (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) has since won a G2 Goodwood Cup and the G3 Ormonde S. and G3 Henry II S. to demonstrate his versatility. Traveling like the winner until the quarter pole in the Gold Cup, he has since looked battle weary in defeat and did not show his usual spark when third attempting to defend his title in the G2 Goodwood Cup at the end of July. “The aim at the start of the season was to try and win a Group 1, and we thought the Irish St Leger would be the easiest to win,” Owen explained. “The conditions normally suit our horse, but this race looks a hot race. [Leading Light] beat us fair and square in the Ascot Gold Cup when ours looked like a non-stayer–if you cut the race off at the 1 mile and 6 furlong point, we were tanking along on the bridle and looked the only one likely to win so perhaps we have more pace than that horse, but maybe I’m clutching at straws.” 
If there is one to emerge from out of the equation it could be Qatar racing’s recent acquisition Pallasator (GB) (Motivator {GB}), who has no experience in this category but who has the size and profile to make this grade. Strictly on the form of his latest fourth in the Ebor H. at York Aug. 23, he is a short way off the pace, but Sir Mark Prescott rarely turns his horses out for Group 1 races without strong reason.