Capri does better than Bustino in Classic with echoes of the past

Echoes of the fabled 1975 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes were obvious.

There were, of course, a few key differences, the principal one being that whereas Bustino's two pacemakers were not quite able to take him to glory, Capri's three fellow team members did complete the 2017 William Hill St Leger on the winning team.

In what went down in history as the race of the century, first Highest, then Kinglet, forced the pace at Ascot as part of a plan forged by Dick Hern to draw the sting out of Grundy's finish.

It nearly worked, and probably would have worked, had high-class stablemate Riboson, earmarked for the anchor pacemaking leg, not been ruled out with injury. Hern was therefore left with three runners in that iconic King George. He had needed four. Aidan O'Brien did have four at Doncaster. Of that Ballydoyle quartet, one proved much the best.

Perhaps they were more innocent times, but cries of foul play were not heard on that Ascot afternoon. That team tactics had been used was obvious. Fast forward 42 years, however, and some may have questioned whether three of the Ballydoyle four had been sacrificed in favour of the big-race favourite.

Indeed, it would take a barrister of rare brilliance to argue The Anvil was ridden primarily to achieve the best possible placing, as the rules dictate all horses must be. The extent, however, to which The Anvil actually helped Capri is debatable. For the 66-1 shot, partnered by a jockey yet to ride a winner this year, rather went like the clappers.

Capri and Ryan Moore stay on strongly to win the St LegerCredit: Edward Whitaker

As he reached the top of Rose Hill, Michael Hussey had opened up a 15-length lead over fellow Ballydoyle colts Douglas Macarthur and Venice Beach, both sent up the road like Team Sky domestiques for Chris Froome, or in this case, Capri, who followed them in fourth. At the halfway stage Hussey glanced between his legs. If he saw another horse he is blessed with the most impressive eyesight.

"I said to myself, 'I went too quick'," admitted Hussey when asked what he thought when looking behind.

"We ride our own races," he added. "That's what the boss told us to do and we've done that. Mine is a staying horse. I thought I went a bit quick, myself."

Did O'Brien think he had gone a bit quick?

"You could say that but I was very happy the three lads were there together," he revealed. "If any one of them wanted to follow him closer, he was there as a target for them."

At the top of the straight the target was passed by Venice Beach and Douglas Macarthur, with Capri poised to the outer under Ryan Moore. Capri then led just over two furlongs out. Just over two furlongs later he had won the Leger. Venice Beach, Douglas Macarthur and The Anvil finished eighth, ninth and last of the 11 runners.

"The lads did a great job," said O'Brien when asked by ITV's Rishi Persad about how the race had unfolded tactically.

"We were going to be forward with them all. It was going to be very straightforward. We knew the horse making the running wanted two miles and we were going to let him go along. He needed to be striding along if he was to have any chance.

"If any of the lads wanted to go faster they could have moved up closer to him, which he was there to do. It was giving all the others a chance. We were just trying to make it a level, even pace for everybody and then we would see what happened down the straight. Class just told in the end."

Ryan Moore gets to know his St Leger winning rider's cap as Aidan O'Brien watches onCredit: Mark Cranham

Class, combined with stamina and tremendous ability, did indeed tell. For while Venice Beach and Douglas Macarthur waved white flags and weakened, Capri, who had spent most of the Leger racing close up behind them, finished with more strength than any one of those who had been held up well off what John Gosden called "a relentless pace". Moreover, no horse suffered interference when The Anvil ran out of puff and retreated through the pack.

"The most important thing as a jockey is not to put yourself in a position in which you might get stopped," said last year's St Leger-winning rider George Baker, such a welcome presence at Doncaster this week.

"If one is dropping through the field you don't get given much room to get out of the way. You have to be on the ball and be aware of what's going on around you."

The other jockeys were very much aware of what was going on around them. Unfortunately for them, Capri was around them and then in front of them.

Dick Hern's plan failed. Aidan O'Brien's did not.

St Leger result and analysis

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