Life’s A Beach

With the news on Friday that Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was bound for The Curragh, Saturday’s G1 Ladbrokes St Leger took on a less competitive but more clear-cut picture, with Bondi Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) now the premier candidate for Ballydoyle. Disappointingly for a Classic of its stature, the Doncaster feature has now cut up and has become virtually a rematch between the G2 Great Voltigeur S. first and second, with Storm the Stars (Sea the Stars {Ire}) the main obstacle to Bondi Beach. Just a half- length separated them in that 12-furlong prep at York Aug. 19, with Storm the Stars having to survive an inquiry after carrying his rival across the track late on and giving him a bump, and it is pure guesswork as to which of the two will come out on top over this extra quarter mile-plus of distance. What Bondi Beach has in his favor is the fact that he is still a lightly-raced and fresh colt coming into this, with a win over Order of St George in the 14-furlong G3 Curragh Cup being only his third racecourse start prior to his Voltigeur effort. “Bondi Beach we thought ran very well [at York]. He came there up the straight and both horses drifted left, but we were delighted with his run,” Aidan O’Brien commented. “He loves good ground. The better the ground, the better it would suit as he is a good-moving horse.”

In contrast to the light workload of Bondi Beach, Storm the Stars has been grafting away at the job since the spring and has danced a lot of dances. While no match for the likes of Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling), Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum’s thoroughly genuine colt has the chance to shine now that he moves up in trip with no obvious class acts in that duo’s mold to contend with. Third in the June 6 G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp July 14 and second in the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh June 27, he has the underlying class needed to win this race. “Storm the Stars has been fine since he won the Great Voltigeur. He’s fit, so he has not needed a lot of work,” trainer William Haggas said. “I can’t be certain that he will get the trip. He’s not bred to get it, but the way that he keeps finding over a mile and a half gives every indication that he will get it.” Bruce Raymond, racing manager to the owner, is confident that he sets the standard. “I thought it was a good performance in the Voltigeur,” he said. “He was game and really stuck his head down in the final furlong. The form of that race looks strong and I think he is the one they all have to beat at Doncaster. The others need to improve to beat him–I’m not saying they won’t, but they need to. I think he will be more effective over a mile and three quarters. He wants this trip.”

Fields of Athenry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will no doubt be ridden to make it a test for his rivals, as forcing tactics brought out the best in him when winning on good-to-firm ground in the Listed Challenge S. over this trip at Leopardstown July 16 and in the G3 Ballyroan S. over a mile and a half there Aug. 8. Unable to dominate hardened older handicappers in the same way from an unfavorable outside draw in York’s prestigious Ebor H. at this distance last time Aug. 22, his fifth placing has merit with that race proving so hard to make an impact in. “Fields of Athenry will run very well I think, as he is a tough horse and ran very well in the Ebor at York,” O’Brien said. “We just thought before the Ebor that he was drawn very badly and we were not sure how that would affect him. He was slow away and he is a horse that likes to bowl along. He took longer to get to the front. He had a big weight to carry as a 3-year-old in a competitive handicap. Looking back at it, though, somewhere like Doncaster should suit him.”

Qatar Racing’s gamble to supplement the filly Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) looks a sound one now that there are so few genuine contenders, and on her latest win in the G3 Lillie Langtry S. over this trip at Goodwood July 30 she warrants respect. “The main reason we decided to go for it is her well-being–she is very well at the moment,” trainer Ralph Beckett explained. “You only really get one chance to win a Classic, two if you’re lucky or three if you’re very, very good. Talent ran very well in the race a couple of years ago, as did Look Here in what turned out to be two very good renewals behind Conduit and Leading Light. This filly has already won over the trip, so she’s proven it.”

The Wildensteins’ Vengeur Masque (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) has something to find on his latest third in the G3 Prix de Reux over 12 furlongs at Deauville Aug. 9, but it is significant that Mikel Delzangles has targeted this race with such an unexposed colt. “I am pleased with Vengeur Masque and I think that he has improved since his last run, though he will have had to as the St Leger is a step up to a much higher level,” his conditioner said. “He needed the race last time and it also developed into just the kind of race that he would not want, a typical French race when there was a slow pace and then they sprinted for the last two furlongs. He doesn’t need a mad pace on Saturday, just a regular pace would be fine. This race has always been in the back of my mind for him but we had a few issues with him at the beginning of the season when he suffered a foot injury. Vengeur Masque is a good horse, but whether he is good enough to win is a different matter.”