Mildenberger to begin St Leger build-up with Gordon Stakes assignment

Mildenberger, who missed the King Edward VII Stakes for which he had been ante-post favourite, is on schedule to reappear at Glorious Goodwood, with the Qatar Gordon Stakes his likely target.

Runner-up to Roaring Lion in the Dante last time he raced, Mildenberger, who also has a Goodwood Cup entry, will resume his campaign with the William Hill St Leger as his ultimate goal.

Trainer Mark Johnston's son Charlie said on Thursday: "The aim is for him to be back for the meeting. With the assumption Dee Ex Bee sidesteps the meeting, it's most likely he'll go for the Gordon rather than the Goodwood Cup.

"We're coming with a fresh horse into the back end of the year hoping he's going to make up into a Leger horse, so something like the Gordon and Great Voltigeur would be the preferred route.

"We were gutted to miss Royal Ascot. I thought he was our banker of the week in the King Edward VII, where it seemed certain he'd improve for stepping up to a mile and a half."

Dee Ex Bee, who finished second in the Derby, also has the St Leger on his agenda but may have a break after finishing seventh in the Irish Derby and third in the Grand Prix de Paris last Saturday.

"The Leger is his target and we have to decide whether he runs again between now and then," said Johnston. "We wouldn't be overly concerned it he didn't. Both horses have been trained with Doncaster in mind.

"With every run he's looking more like he needs either a step up in trip or softer ground. The combination of a mile and a half and fast ground is looking too much for him.

"He was never travelling in France. I was worried after about 100 yards. He just didn't jump into the bridle at all. Maybe that's something to do with a couple of hard runs in each Derby. He still gave everything he had to get third, which is testament to him."

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