Godolphin’s New London is hot favourite to win the Cazoo-sponsored St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday. Jon Lees ranks the ten horses to have won the Classic in the past for Sheikh Mohammed, either in the owner’s own right or as part of his Godolphin team
With runners in his own name and then via his elite Godolphin stable, there is no owner who has been involved in more winners of the world’s oldest Classic, the St Leger, than Sheikh Mohammed.
Since Oh So Sharp completed the fillies’ Triple Crown in 1985 there has been a regular stream of winners – first in the famous maroon-and-white colours and now the even better-known royal blue silks of Godolphin. The sheikh will be seeking an 11th victory at Doncaster this weekend with hot favourite New London, who carries the Godolphin blue for trainer Charlie Appleby.
1. Oh So Sharp (1985)
Sire: Kris
Dam: Oh So Fair (Graustark)
Trainer: Henry Cecil
Jockey: Steve Cauthen
Starting odds: 8-11 favourite
The first and the best of Sheikh Mohammed’s St Leger winners and an early success for his now vast breeding operation. Oh So Sharp was the first filly in 30 years to claim the English Fillies’ Triple Crown, having already won the 1,000 Guineas in a record time and the Oaks by six lengths. She was unbeaten against her own sex, her only defeats in nine starts coming in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Juddmonte International.
2. Hurricane Lane (2021)
Sire: Frankel
Dam: Gale Force (Shirocco)
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Starting odds: 8-11 favourite
Last year’s St Leger winner enjoyed a tremendous three-year-old campaign, his victory at Doncaster was not even the high point. The colt who went into the Derby as the stable’s main hope only to finish third to stablemate Adayar atoned by winning the Irish Derby and Grand Prix de Paris. He beat Mojo Star at Doncaster in the manner befitting an odds-on favourite and then finished third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, just three-quarters of a length behind Torquator Tasso.
3. Classic Cliche (1996)
Sire: Salse
Dam: Pato (High Top)
Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Starting odds: 100-30 favourite
Bought out of Henry Cecil’s yard for the then-acquisitive Godolphin team, Classic Cliche won the Dante Stakes on his stable debut and, after finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the French and Irish Derbys, found his forte in staying races, winning the St Leger by a comprehensive 3½ lengths. He was also the 1,000th winner of Dettori’s famous career. As a four-year-old he beat Double Trigger to win the Gold Cup at Ascot and proved versatile enough to finish second in the King George.
4. Mutafaweq (1999)
Sire: Silver Hawk
Dam: The Caretaker (Caerleon)
Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor
Jockey: Richard Hills
Starting odds: 11-2
Bought as a yearling by Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shadwell operation, Mutafaweq was put into training with Saeed Bin Suroor to race for Godolphin. He came to prominence when he won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and then at Doncaster accounted for the best filly in Europe when he defeated Ramruma, who had completed the Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks treble. Stayed over middle distances, going on to land three more G1 events, including the Canadian International and Coronation Cup.
5. Shantou (1997)
Sire: Alleged
Dam: Shaima (Shareef Dancer)
Trainer: John Gosden
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Starting odds: 8-1
John Gosden’s first English Classic winner, Shantou first revealed his potential when finishing third in the Derby. At Doncaster he reversed placings with the Derby second Dushyantor, who started favourite, to get up and win by a neck, completing a hat-trick of wins in the race for Sheikh Mohammed/Godolphin. He won three more times, twice at G1 level in Italy, and defeated Godolphin stalwart Swain in the G2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting.
6. Nedawi (1998)
Sire: Rainbow Quest
Dam: Wajd (Northern Dancer)
Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor
Jockey: John Reid
Starting odds: 5-2 favourite
Won the St Leger on only his fourth start, despite showing signs of his inexperience when swerving left and right on his way to a half-length success. Raced only three more times, finishing second in both the Dubai Turf and King George, a respectful five lengths behind superstar stablemate Daylami.
7. Mastery (2009)
Sire: Sulamani
Dam: Moyesii (Diesis)
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Ted Durcan
Starting odds: 14-1
Saeed Bin Suroor/Ted Durcan
Began his career with Mark Johnston before being transferred to Godolphin in Newmarket for his three-year-old season, which began with Derby Italiano success. Stable second string at Doncaster where Frankie Dettori rode big-race favourite Kite Wood but prevailed by three-quarters of a length. However, Dettori did enjoy another day in the sun on the colt when they won the 2010 Hong Kong Vase.
8. Rule Of Law (2004)
Sire: Kingmambo
Dam: Crystal Crossing (Royal Academy)
Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor
Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy
Starting odds: 3-1 joint favourite
A victory to showcase the talents of Australian rider Kerrin McEvoy, whose stalwart stint as number two to Dettori at Godolphin was rewarded with his only English Classic success. The three-time Melbourne Cup winner executed a masterful front-running ride on Derby runner-up Rule Of Law, gradually quickening the tempo to secure victory by a head.
9. Moonax (1994)
Sire: Caerleon
Dam: Moonsilk (Solinus)
Trainer: Barry Hills
Jockey: Pat Eddery
Starting odds: 40-1
Once dubbed ‘the world’s naughtiest horse’ because of his bad behaviour, Moonax was also talented enough to become Europe’s champion stayer in 1994 for winning both the St Leger and France’s equivalent, the Prix Royal Oak. Victory at Doncaster was bittersweet for Barry Hills as the 40-1 shot defeated Broadway Flyer, trained and ridden by two of his sons John and Michael. He stayed with Hills until he was six, running three times over hurdles, by which time he had earned the dreaded Timeform squiggle for his unruly behaviour.
10. Encke (2012)
Sire: Kingmambo
Dam: Shawanda (Sinndar)
Trainer: Mahmood Al Zarooni
Jockey: Mickael Barzalona
Starting odds: 25-1
A somewhat pantomime villain who became the ultimate party-pooper by denying Camelot a rare British Triple Crown. The Doncaster stage was set for the Ballydoyle colt to complete a feat not witnessed since Nijinsky in 1970 but the 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner, who went off the 2-5 favourite, was to lose his unbeaten record as he fell three-quarters of a length short of catching the Godolphin colt. The result appeared even more unsatisfactory the following year when Al Zarooni was disqualified for eight years for doping offences and Encke, who tested clear after the St Leger, was one of the horses to test positive for banned steroids.
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