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| Staff Writer |
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You Got To Me, the brilliant Irish Oaks winner, has been supplemented for the Gr.1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster, trainer Ralph Beckett confirmed on Monday. The US$62,000 late entry fee was paid by owners Valmont and Newsells Park Stud, swelling the field to ten for the final Classic of the season.
Beckett, no stranger to success with fillies in the Town Moor showpiece, is eyeing a second St Leger triumph. The Kimpton handler, who famously won with Simple Verse in 2015 and has also secured placings with Talent and Look Here, believes the ground conditions have tipped the scales in favour of You Got To Me's participation.
"We're conscious that her best form is on good ground or faster and it looks like being that at the weekend if the forecast is correct," Beckett explained. "It felt like a good fit for her."
Standing in You Got To Me's path is a formidable Ballydoyle contingent, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for half of the remaining entries. The Irish maestro, seeking his eighth St Leger victory, fields a trio of leading contenders.
Illinois, runner-up in the Great Voltigeur and a Royal Ascot winner, is set to be partnered by Wayne Lordan. The unbeaten Jan Brueghel, impressive winner of the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, brings rock-solid form to the table. Completing O'Brien's leading hopes is Grosvenor Square, who produced a jaw-dropping 20-length romp in the Irish St Leger Trial.
Adding international flavour to the Classic is French raider Sunway, trained by David Menuisier. The Irish Derby runner-up has been pleasing connections in his preparation. "Everything has gone as we would have liked and we are really looking forward to running him on Saturday," Menuisier enthused.
Owen Burrows' Deira Mile, fourth in the Derby behind City Of Troy, enters calculations after a narrow defeat in Listed company last time out. Andrew Balding's Wild Waves and Charlie Johnston's Align The Stars complete the potential line-up.
Godolphin's Bahrain Trophy victor Ancient Wisdom was a notable absentee at the confirmation stage. The stable reported, "The horse is in good form, but will instead be aimed at an autumn campaign with his favoured ground conditions."
The St Leger, first run in 1776, boasts a rich history of champions. Recent winners include Eldar Eldarov (2022), Hurricane Lane (2021), and Galileo Chrome (2020). The race has been a springboard for future stars, with Nijinsky completing the English Triple Crown in 1970 and Oh So Sharp achieving the fillies' equivalent in 1985.
As the final Classic approaches, all eyes will be on You Got To Me as she attempts to emulate Simple Verse's feat and give Beckett a second St Leger triumph. With a mix of established form and unexposed talent in the field, this year's renewal promises to be a thrilling climax to the Classic season.