Last year's English St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov will try and land the Irish equivalent this term with his trainer Roger Varian labelling the Group One event as one of his next big targets.
A winner on his sole start as a juvenile over 1m 1/2f at Nottingham, he was saved for his three year old campaign last term and picked up from where he left off at Newcastle over 1m2f, beating Post Impressionist.
Stepped up in trip for the Group Two Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot having his first at 1m6f, he revelled in the distance to get up close home to land the hat-trick.
Dropped down to 1m4f for the Group One Grand Prix de Paris he never got into the race being too far back and was only fourth of six, but after that was given a little break.
Returning back at 1m6f in the Group One St Leger at Doncaster he stayed the best of the field to see off new London by 1/2 a length.
Eldar Eldarov wins the Cazoo St Leger at @DoncasterRaces. pic.twitter.com/7sdajSW9RI
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 11, 2022
Finishing last term in the Group Two Long Distance Cup at Ascot on British Champions Day many thought the extra 2f would suit but in the end he ran no race only beating one home.
This term he has been targeted at the big marathon trip events but has yet to hit the heights of last season finishing second to Giavellotto on seasonal debut at York In the Group Two Yorkshire Cup.
Seen twice more since then he ran a poor race in the Ascot Gold Cup at the Royal meeting finishing back in seventh and in a farce of a race in the Goodwood Cup he could only manage fourth.
Varian is now looking at the Group One Irish St Leger as the race to get him back on track but whether they go elsewhere before that is up in the air.
“I would really like to run him in the Irish St Leger, so it is working out whether he has a run before then,” said Varian.
“He does have a few options in the next 10 days if he was to run again, or do we go to Ireland with a fresh horse? We just need 48 hours or so to make up our minds.”