Aidan O’Brien struggling to split St Leger trio

Aidan O’Brien feels “there might not be much between” Scandinavia, Lambourn and Stay True as the trio all go for gold in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger.

The Ballydoyle maestro has won the Doncaster Classic eight times so far and will be going for a third successive victory after Continuous and Jan Brueghel, with the latter ridden by Sean Levey last year.

In the absence of the injured Ryan Moore, Levey is employed again for dual Derby winner Lambourn, with Tom Marquand on the favourite Scandinavia and Mickael Barzalona aboard the unexposed Stay True.

“It will be interesting, there might not be much between them,” said O’Brien.

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Good form

“Lambourn, we’ve been happy with him since York, he didn’t have a hard race there and he’s been in good form since. Obviously what he did early in the season was brilliant.

“Scandinavia came out of Goodwood well. He will be interesting as he looks a lovely, big and improving three-year-old. Beating the older horses is always tough to do and Illinois is a very solid horse too.

“Stay True has come forward from York, which we always thought he would. He ran well in the Lingfield Derby Trial and hasn’t run much. We haven’t seen the best of him yet.”

The Irish hand is strengthened by Paddy Twomey’s Carmers, who ran an excellent trial when second in the Great Voltigeur at York, ahead of Lambourn in fifth, and now returns to the distance over which he was successful at Royal Ascot in the Queen’s Vase.

“He’s been good since York and he’s been a progressive horse all year,” said Twomey.

“He won well at Royal Ascot and I thought the Voltigeur was a good trial for a race like the Leger. He dropped back in trip and it will have sharpened him up a good bit and I think he will come forward for it.

“This is the logical next step and the Leger trip is where his best form is at, so I think you’ll see an improved performance back over a mile and six on Saturday.”

Strong

Andrew Balding’s Furthur was second in the Queen’s Vase and has since gone on to advertise his Leger claims by winning the Geoffrey Freer, while the Kingsclere handler will also saddle Melrose Handicap winner Tarriance.

Roger Varian has previously won the Doncaster Classic twice and this time runs Queen’s Vase third Rahiebb, who has always been regarded as a “Leger type” by his handler.

“We’re fond of the race and it’s nice to be involved again this year,” said Varian.

“Going back to May, he gave Merchant 8lb in a handicap at York and was only beaten two and a half lengths and I think time has told us that was a good run.

“Our Vase performance was very strong and he was still learning that day and didn’t do everything perfectly.

“He was only beaten a length by Carmers, so that was arguably a very good Leger trial in itself and I would be inclined to forgive him his run in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

Focus

“He was back in distance and ran straight after that heavy storm and probably didn’t quite enjoy the ground.

“He’d also been on the go a long time since his debut and I had probably been a bit kind on him after Ascot, so he might have just needed the run at Goodwood.

“If we can focus on his run at Ascot in the Vase, he’s there or thereabouts certainly with Paddy Twomey’s horse.

“I personally think the top two are very strong and you’ve got a dual Derby winner who isn’t even favourite and Scandinavia has found a whole new level of form since finishing behind us (fifth) in the Vase.

“I think Aidan’s big two will be tough to topple, but I have thought for a long time my horse is a Leger type who appears to be as good as he’s ever been.

“We’ve had this race in mind for a good while and if you can forgive him his Goodwood run, then perhaps he shouldn’t be overlooked.”

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