THE LONG wait for a Classic winner in the Royal silks could be over in this year’s St Leger at Doncaster.
That’s if the market is to be believed, as King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Desert Hero has been all the rage.
King Charles and Queen Camilla cheer home Desert Hero at Royal Ascot
Dunfermline’s 1977 St Leger win was the last time the famous silks were carried to Classic glory and Desert Hero is charting the same path.
Trained by William Haggas, Desert Hero thrust himself into the St Leger picture with a last-gasp win in the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
That victory has Haggas convinced he’s got a Classic contender, and who could blame him.
Haggas, speaking to Racing TV, said: “He is in the Great Voltigeur but he doesn’t need to run there so we will go straight to the St Leger all being well.
“I am not sure whether he will stay but there is plenty of stamina in the dam side, and Sea The Stars is a very versatile stallion, so why won’t he stay?
“He proved he can stay on the soft, he has won at Ascot on fast ground, so I think he has a chance of getting the trip.
“It’s whether they are going to be as effective or more effective on the trip. This horse deserves his place in a race of that nature.”
Punters clearly think stamina isn’t in question and Coral have cut him into 6-1 from 8-1.
Coral’s David Steven’s said: “Having progressed from a handicap success at Royal Ascot to a Group 3 victory at Goodwood, Desert Hero has cemented his place as a leading contender for the season’s final Classic.
“Punters clearly believe the Royal runner could give the King and Queen their biggest triumph to date at Doncaster next month.”
Gregory sits at the top of the market at 5-2 to give Frankie Dettori his final British Classic.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair Tower Of London and Savethelastdance are 5-1, while Castle Way is 8-1 for the Goldolphin machine.
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