New London and Eldar Eldarov to slug it out with seven rivals in St Leger
- Planet Sport writer
- 8 September 2022
Nine will go to post for Saturday's St Leger at Doncaster, with New London odds-on favourite to land his first Group 1.
The Dubawi colt has won four of his five career outings with his sole defeat coming in the Chester Vase on testing ground.
With the St Leger winner Masked Marvel among his relatives, Charlie Appleby will be hoping to add to last year's win in the race with Hurricane Lane.
His main market rival is Roger Varian's Eldar Eldarov, another who has only met with one defeat in his career to date, last time out in the Grand Prix de Paris.
Prior to that he had won the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot over the St Leger trip and Varian feels his charge will be better for going there fresh.
"He ran in a novice race at Newcastle towards the end of May where he won under a penalty, then he went on to Royal Ascot and won the Queen's Vase. The Queen's Vase was a tough race; from there he went to Paris," said Varian.
"I felt going to York would come a bit close to the Leger. I was happy that we could train him into the St Leger off a reasonable gap and I think he goes well fresh.
"I'm not sure whether he was at his best (in France) or whether he showed that day he was a real staying horse."
Varian won the St Leger with Kingston Hill in 2014, his breakthrough Classic success.
"I would say Kingston Hill and Eldar Eldarov are a bit different to each other," said Varian.
"Kingston Hill was a great big solid, improving horse. He ran second in a Derby and fourth in an Eclipse. He really brought Group One form into the race and was a deserving favourite. Eldar Eldarov has been a bit more unfurnished in the early part of his career and he's just starting to flourish now.
"Kingston Hill didn't race past three, but I would hope Eldar Eldarov will be better as a four-year-old and even better as a five-year-old."
Ralph Beckett has supplemented his unbeaten filly Haskoy to take on the boys while Irish Derby third French Claim represents Paddy Twomey.
Hoo Ya Mal was placed in the Derby before being bought by Australian connections to run in the Melbourne Cup and subsequently moved to George Boughey for a crack at the Classic. He won easily at Goodwood last time out.
Giavellotto will aim to give Marco Botti and Neil Callan a first British Classic while Emily Dickinson represents Aidan O'Brien.
Andrea Atzeni was due to take the ride on Martyn and Freddie Meade's Zechariah, but the colt was not declared and he now rides El Habeeb, who ran in the Derby for Stan Moore but is now with Kevin Philippart De Foy.
Ivan Furtado's outsider Lizzie Jean completes the field.
