Can the Geoffrey Freer unearth a St Leger hope in Juddmonte's Pinhole?

We are entering St Leger trial season and plenty of recent Geoffrey Freer winners earned their run at Doncaster via this route. That is the presumed dream for Classic-entered colts Pinhole, Furthur and Nightime Dancer.

This is a good test of the younger brigade’s credentials against established Group performers. Admittedly, only Epic Poet is proven over this far, although Ambiente Friendly finished second in last year’s Derby and Candleford was fourth in a Hardwicke.

The 9lb the three-year-olds receive in weight-for-age in the Geoffrey Freer is a significant fillip. The staying programme comes into its own only from Royal Ascot onwards and we have reached the point in the season when stamina-laden, lightly-raced horses start to bloom.

There is every chance at least one will rise to the occasion at Newbury as we know where we stand with Epic Poet and Candleford, who have 45 starts between them. Ambiente Friendly is unexposed by comparison having raced 12 times, although his career has taken a negative turn in the last year and the free-going tendencies he is known for are an obvious drawback in staying races.

There are similarities between Juddmonte’s early favourite Pinhole and Arrest, who won this for the owners two seasons ago when odds-on.

Both ran in the Chester Vase and were fancied at Royal Ascot around six weeks later, although Arrest’s achievements bettered Pinhole’s at this stage. The prices on offer about this colt seem on the short side, particularly given the lack of bankable pace.

Pinhole was entitled to win a five-runner Ascot handicap off a handy mark when last seen. On the revised weights and measures, he is closely matched with Furthur and Nightime Dancer. There are grounds for considering either colt as overpriced by comparison.

Furthur’s second to Carmers in the Queen’s Vase, a race in which Pinhole fell short, came in a course record time. He sat closer to the strong pace forced by Shackleton and shaped better than Pinhole on their previous meeting in the Chester Vase.

Half a length split them that day, although Furthur had a worse trip around the Roodee. While Furthur’s recent Bahrain Trophy disappointment requires an explanation, he may bounce back.

The Goodwood Cup told us Nightime Dancer, who shaped better than his eighth-placed finish in the Derby two starts back suggests, probably bumped into a staying superstar in Scandinavia when second in the Bahrain Trophy. He will not meet anything of that calibre here.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

'It wouldn't surprise me if he ran very well'

Half of this year's Geoffrey Freer field could well advertise their Classic credentials for Doncaster next month, including Nightime Dancer for Richard Hannon.

Since 2017, four winners of this have gone on to battle it out in the final British Classic of the year, although 2023 winner Arrest is the one who fared best on Town Moor when finishing second behind Continuous.

The 2020 winner Hukum may have finished only fifth in the St Leger, but he returned to Newbury a year later to win the Geoffrey Freer before adding two Group 1 victories in the Coronation Cup and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Technician and Defoe, winners of this race in 2019 and 2017 respectively, both took their chance in the Doncaster Classic, and Pinhole, Nightime Dancer and Furthur all remain in the St Leger picture.

Ascot winner Pinhole is 2-1 favourite here – and a 25-1 shot for Doncaster – but Richard Hannon is confident his representative, Nightime Dancer, has solid claims. Second behind subsequent Goodwood Cup winner Scandinavia in the Bahrain Trophy, the Ghaiyyath colt has a couple of options in the near future after this appearance.

"He's done very well," said Hannon. "It's all about next year. There's a one-mile-five-furlong race for three-year-olds only at Longchamp on Arc weekend that we're looking at, but he's also in the Leger.

"He's a very nice horse. There's not many runners and although it's not an easy race, this track will suit him. I'm hoping he'll improve this year and it wouldn't surprise me if he ran very well."

What they say

David O'Meara, trainer of Epic Poet
He enjoyed a good winter in the Middle East and likes these fast conditions. He seems in good form.

William Haggas, trainer of Candleford
He ran a good race at Goodwood on ground that was too soft for him. I’m not sure about the trip. A mile five and half is a question, but he stays a mile and a half well and he’s got a chance. Really, I would have waited a week for the race at Windsor over a mile and three but this is too good an opportunity to miss.

Candleford and Ryan Moore wins the Orby Stakes at the Curragh

Candleford: contests the Geoffrey Freer for William HaggasCredit: Patrick McCann

James Owen, trainer of Ambiente Friendly
He's doing really well. His last two runs have been better and he's been training well since his last run. We're stepping up in trip, which we think will help him, and I think he should run a big race. The ground was quick enough when he won the Derby trial at Lingfield, so he will be fine with quick ground.
Reporting by Liam Headd

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