Irish and English St Legers won by sons of two mighty stallions and bred in the purple
THE TWO of the best stallions in the world over the last ten years sired the winners of the English and Irish St Leger – at Doncaster, Dubawi’s son Eldar Eldarov won the Group 1 Cazoo St Leger for trainer Roger Varian, jockey David Egan and owner KHK Racing, while at The Curragh, Kyprios by the late Galileo, made it three Group 1s in a row after his summer’s victories in the Ascot Gold Cup (G1) and the Goodwood Cup (G1).
Both horse hail from top-class pedigrees developed by leading breeders.
The Irish race produced was an amazing one-three for Moyglare Stud’s star broodmare Polished Gem – Search For A Song, a previous two-time winner of the Irish St Leger and a full-sister to Kyprios, came home in third, behind the second-placed William Haggas-trained Hamish (Motivator).
Polished Gem has also produced the Group 1 winner Free Eagle, the multiple Group race winners Custom Cut and Sapphire, and the Listed winners Falcon Eight, Amma Grace and Valac.
“There is so much in there, he has a big engine, a big heart, he always helps you out. I was a little bit worried about the slow ground today, but he handled it well, is getting stronger and improving,” said Kyprios’s jockey Ryan Moore.”He is thriving on his racing.”
Trainer Aidan O’Brien did not rule out an Arc possibility for Kyprios, who is also entered in the Long Distance Cup (G2) on British Champions day.
Fine pedigree for Eldar Eldarvo
The year-younger Eldar Eldarvo was bred by Miss Rausing out of the Listed winner All At Sea (Sea The Stars). She is a half-sister to Alwilda (Hernando), the dam of the five-time Group 1 winner and Arc hopeful Alpinista.
All At Sea and Alwilda are daughters of the three-time Group 1 winner Albanova (Alzao), who is a sister to dual Champion Stakes (G1) winner Alborada.
Staffordstown Stud sold Eldar Eldarov to Mags O’Toole/Oak Tree Farm for £110,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale 2020. He was re-sold at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale 2021 (held at Doncaster) by Oak Tree Farm, purchased by Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock for £480,000.
He is entered in the Long Distance Cup on British Champions Day and the Melbourne Cup.
Trainer Roger Varian, who was enjoying his second St Leger winner after Kingston Hill’s victory in 2014, said: “We thought today the winner would have to stay well and we knew he would, HH Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa has been a big supporter and it is a great win for him.
“As happy as we are, we are, of course, thinking of the Queen, it has been a tough week for the Royal family, our thoughts are with them. Our thoughts are with the de Bromhead family. It has been a tough week for racing, but horses do always give you a reason to look forward.”
Of next year’s plans for Eldar Eldarov, he said: “We have got to dream of those [Cup] races now! He proved today he is a thorough stayer and I think we should recognise that and campaign him as a Cup horse going forward. it is likely he should keep improving, is pedigree suggests that and he has been a horse has got better the more he has done. I think next year he can offer more again.”