The Early Favorites for the St Leger Stakes

When it comes to flat racing in the UK, there are few races more prestigious than the five which make up the British Classics series. Made up of the 1,000 Guines, 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Epsom Oaks and the St Leger Stakes, these are the races that jockeys and trainers dream of winning.

With four of the Classics having been and gone already this year, the only remaining one is the St Leger Stakes, which takes place on September 11th at Doncaster. Punters are already examining the horse racing tips to try and predict the winner, and it’s shaping up to be a cracking race. Let’s take a look at a few of the favorites for victory.

Hurricane Lane

Trainer Charlie Appleby is still on cloud nine after Adayar won the King George at Ascot, completing a memorable double along with the Derby triumph in June. But it’s Hurricane Lane who leads the betting ahead of Adayar, and Appleby will be hoping that one of his prized colts can emerge triumphant come the St Leger Stakes. 

Hurricane Lane has two successive victories to his name from his last two outings, including in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. That kind of form suggests a memorable performance in the St Leger Stakes could be on the cards.

Adayar

Of course, Adayar cannot be ruled out after his excellent form in 2021. It’s rare for a horse to win two British Classics in the one season, but you feel that Adayar is one who could certainly achieve that feat. He showed tremendous class to reign supreme in the Derby earlier this summer, and the recent win in the King George at Ascot has seen his odds for the St Leger Stakes. 

Wordsworth

Aidan O’Brien is never far away from the favorites list for any major flat racing event, and the Irish trainer will be keen to win a seventh St Leger Stakes on September 11th this year. His best chance at glory probably lies with Wordsworth, who goes into the race as the third favorite behind Charlie Appleby’s two chances. 

Wordsworth’s last four outings have all ended in defeat, but there have been a couple of close-run things within those races, and O’Brien will be quietly confident that the three-year-old can get the win.

Alenquer

Another potential shout for glory at Doncaster is Alenquer, trained by William Haggas. The colt has two good wins to his name this season at Sandown and Ascot, and that will give Haggas confidence that a strong performance could be in the offing in the St Leger Stakes.

 The last outing saw a fourth-place finish at Longchamp in the Grand Prix de Paris, but Alenquer has shown enough this year that the punters may well fancy a flutter on him for the St Leger.

Lone Eagle

Last but not least, the Martyn Meade-trained horse Lone Eagle could be worth a shout. Some terrific form last season has been tempered slightly by a few defeats in 2021, but Lone Eagle is still a talented colt and if he can build up a head of steam, he could be difficult to stop.