Spanish Mission to miss St Leger in favour of new $1 million Belmont prize

The home team in next month's William Hill St Leger has lost one of its major players as Group 3 winner Spanish Mission is to miss Doncaster in favour of a tilt at a new $1 million race at Belmont Park in New York on September 7.

The David Simcock-trained son of Noble Mission is co-owned by US-based Earle Mack and Team Valor who are keen to support the first running of the Jockey Club Derby, which is run over a mile and a half on turf and is the concluding leg of the 'Turf Trinity' series contested at distances matching those of the dirt Triple Crown.

A general 12-1 chance for the St Leger, Spanish Mission first sprang to prominence when landing the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over a mile and five furlongs at Newmarket in July, when he scored by four lengths from the useful Nayef Road.

Last time out the three-year-old finished third to the same rival in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half at Goodwood, where the pair were split by subsequent Great Voltigeur second Constantinople.

Anthony Burke, racing manager to Earle Mack, said: "Spanish Mission has come out of Goodwood in great shape and it is the wish of both owners that he runs in this new million dollar race at Belmont, where hopefully he will get the fast ground he prefers.

"The owners are both New York-based so they will be able to see him run and he will be shipped out later this week. It's a nice prize to go for and the plan is for Jamie Spencer to fly over and take the ride."

The winner of the Jockey Club Derby will automatically earn a place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf in November but Burke added: "Spanish Mission is on a return ticket back to the UK whatever happens at Belmont and it could well be his last race of the year."

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