Continuous is a general 3-1 second favourite to deliver Aidan O’Brien a fifth classic success of 2023 in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.
The oldest classic of all has just nine potential starters left in it after Monday’s latest acceptance stage and O’Brien is responsible for four of them as he chases a seventh career Leger victory.
Continuous landed a traditional Leger trial in York’s Great Voltiguer Stakes last month and is set to renew rivalry with the John & Thady Gosden-trained Gregory who finished third on that occasion.
Despite that form, Gregory was quickly made favourite to get his revenge over the longer Leger trip.
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O’Brien has hit a number of notable career milestones this season including when reaching a century of European classics after Auguste Rodin landed the Irish Derby in July.
He quickly secured No. 101 with Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks and can pick from another trio of other Leger entries – Tower Of London, Denmark and Alexandroupolis – in an attempt to add to that.
However, much of the build up to the final classic of the cross-channel season is set to revolve around Desert Hero’s chances of delivering victory for the king and queen of England.
The William Haggas-trained colt bears the royal colours which were carried to Leger success in 1977 through Dunfermline’s famous defeat of subsequent dual-Arc winner Alleged.
Desert Hero delivered a victory for his ownership at Royal Ascot in June and subsequently picked up a traditional Leger trial of his own when emerging on top in Goodwood’s Gordon Stakes.
Nevertheless, bookmakers reckon the Leger shapes as a suitable classic opportunity for Gregory who may be joined in the race by his stable companions Arrest and Middle Earth who was supplemented on Monday.
Gregory will be Frankie Dettori’s final English classic ride before retirement at the end of the year and John Gosden is keen to get another crack at Continuous.
“Gregory went a little quick early in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. When I saw the early fractions, I thought ‘We’ve just gone inside 12 seconds for a furlong’.
“I think there were three of them trying to make the lead in order to boss the race and they all got into a scramble early on. You’re not going to do those fractions over the first three furlongs and finish a race.
“It was obvious where the winner came from, he was 20 lengths out the back. He actually ran a very good race and when Frankie put his hands down, he galloped out well to the line and after the line,” said Gosden.
In other news, the fallout from the weekend’s Irish Champions Festival action has seen jockey Kevin Stott lose his job as No 1 rider to Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation.
The owner was unhappy with Stott’s ride on King Of Steel in the Irish Champion Stakes and the jockey reported he woke up on Monday morning to a text message informing him he will no longer be riding for Amo.
Stott secured Group One success for Amo on the Adrian Murray-trained star Bucanero Fuerte in last month’s Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
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