St Leger promises ‘interesting times ahead’

NO PUN intended. Interesting times are, indeed, ahead in Sunday’s Jamaica St Leger, considering the outcome of last month’s 1000 and 2000 Guineas.

CALIFORNIA CROWN stunned stablemate INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD in a gate-to-wire 2000 Guineas run at odds of 3-1, exposing the champion two-year-old’s spotty exercise reports, which, from all indications, haven’t changed for the better ahead of the St Leger.

A day before the 2000 Guineas, the filly, RUN JULIE RUN, runner-up to INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD in last December’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes - making her the second-best juvenile in the land then - franked that form with an easy win in the 1000 Guineas, clocking 1:42.1, two-fifths quicker than the colts, sending tongues wagging with a pending battle of the sexes in the St Leger.

All thrown into a broiling cauldron at 10 furlongs, the St Leger, on paper, appears one of the most interesting in quite a while.

CALIFORNIA CROWN could be the find of the season should he stay two turns. Having debuted as a three-year-old, the Hedge Fund-Dream Big colt, half-brother to useful-in-his-days DEJAE’S BOY, is looking better with each run whereas INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, from evidence at exercise, has regressed somewhat.

Galloping with MACK AND ROME, 1:27.2, last Saturday, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD, 1:28.1, was inexplicably beaten in a seven-furlong gallop by the Bold Conquest-Gold Miner colt, who only won his first race a month ago, getting home by a length from ROCK-OLA, who is still a maiden.

Heading into the 2000 Guineas, INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD was similarly beaten by stablemate PROVIDENT, on whom he turned the tables in the actual event but should have done far better than two and three-quarter lengths.

Though INTRESTNTIMESAHEAD’s exercise form was questionable heading into the 2000 Guineas, punters gave him the benefit of the doubt, paying dearly as the 1-5 favourite tried in vain to get on terms with CALIFORNIA CROWN for an entire mile.

Last, but by no means least, RUN JULIE RUN’s 1:42.1 in the 1000 Guineas suggests that she should definitely be competitive against colts with her five-pound sex allowance in tow. However, the 2000 Guineas pace was quicker, by a full second on average, certainly for the first six furlongs.

Were she running against the colts, RUN JULIE RUN would have been dragged off her bridle into splits of 47.2, 59.4 and 1:14.0 instead of 48.0, 1:0.4, and 1:15.0, which allowed her to relax and quicken over the last two furlongs.

CALIFORNIA CROWN appeared comfortable enough at exercise in his St Leger speed gallop, seven furlongs in 1:27.2, leaving stamina as the only question hanging over his head at 10 furlongs against his stablemate and Anthony Nunes quintet of stayers – ALLEGIANCE, SUPREMASI, CAPTAIN SPARROW, KING PYE, and CROWN CHASER - who will run a contrasting race as opposed to the Guineas in which he was used up on the lead.