Panther Hunting For Another Classic

   Defending champion Brown Panther (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) heads the entries for the G1 Irish St Leger on the second day of Irish Champions Weekend at the Curragh September 13. The mile and three quarter event has attracted 48 entries, 13 of which have come from Britain. The highly promising Snow Sky (GB) (Nayef) last seen beating Michael Owen’s Brown Panther in the G2 Yorkshire Cup earlier this month, has been entered by Sir Michael Stoute along with stablemateGospel Choir (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), absent since winning the Yorkshire Cup in 2014. Tac De Boistron (Fr) (Take Risks {Fr}), as expected, features in the list as does Ed Dunlop’s popular globetrotter Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). The German-trained trio of Ephraim (GB) (Rail Link {GB}), Swordshire (Ger) (Shirocco {Ger}) and Walzertakt (Ger) (Montjeu {Ire}) who finished first, second and third in the G3 Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten earlier this month have all been entered for the race.

   No current trainer has enjoyed more success in the Irish St Leger than Dermot Weld and he has entered seven horses as he bids for his eighth success in the Classic. The unbeaten Forgotten Rules (Ire) (Nayef), recent winner of the G3 Vintage Crop S. at Navan heads the Rosewell House challenge. Aidan O’Brien won the race with Yeats (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) in 2007 and again with Septimus (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) twelve months later and he has a team of eleven entered including G1 Epsom Derby hope Hans Holbein (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Paul Hensey, General Manager of the Curragh Racecourse, said, “The Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger is the feature race on day two of Irish Champions Weekend and Brown Panther’s win last year was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the weekend. This year’s race has once again attracted a top class entry including three German trained horses through our link with Hoppegarten Racecourse in Berlin.”