Kew Gardens wins St Leger Stakes at Doncaster

Trainer Aidan O’Brien had five runners in the field of 12 but it was Kew Gardens who was a worthy winner by two-and-a-quarter-lengths.

Unbeaten favourite Lah Ti Dar, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was in second and Southern France, another from the O’Brien stable, trailed in third.

The victory for Kew Gardens, who was ninth in the Derby back in June, backed up an impressive success in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris in July. For O’Brien, it was a second successive victory in the Doncaster showpiece with jockey Ryan Moore following last year’s triumph with Capria, in doing so making it a sixth St Leger success and his 31st Classic win.

With stamina always likely to be a key factor particularly for Kew Gardens, a strong pace was set by his stablemates. With that in mind, Moore was quite content to bide his time and was tracked all the time by Lah Ti Dar and Dettori, who had steered the filly’s brother Too Darn Hot to success in the Champagne Stakes in the previous race.

Swinging into the straight with the long half a mile to go, Kew Gardens moved through to chase down the leaders as Lah Ti Dar, on just her fourth start, was a little more uncertain and required more assistance from her jockey.

That proved a decisive factor as Kew Gardens went from being a length in front of Lah Ti Dar with four furlongs remaining to being nearly three lengths ahead with two furlongs to go. The late power of Kew Gardens was relentless as the horse kept on to win by two and a quarter lengths, with Southern France four and a half lengths behind Lah Ti Dar in third.

Speaking afterwards, Moore, who recorded his 11th Classic win, said: Moore said: “He travelled well and got there really easy.

He’s a very uncomplicated, easy horse and he did it very impressively. He tries very hard and has a great attitude to life.

He picked up really well and beat a good field.”

O’Brien added”We always thought he was a horse that would stay well and we thought the distance would suit him.

“He has a lot of class and we’re over the moon really.”

Lah Ti Dar’s trainer John Gosden said: “That’s the first real race of her life.

She’s only ever seen about one horse before today.

“In the end the best horse won – make no mistake – but I like the way she was closing him down late on. She was getting to him and getting to him.”
2018 British Classic winners

• 2,000 Guineas, Newmarket: Saxon Warrior
• 1,000 Guineas, Newmarket: Billesdon Brook
• Oaks, Epsom: Forever Together
• Derby, Epsom: Masar
• St Leger, Doncaster: Kew Gardens