Tom Marquand and Scandinavia dig in to prove the pick of Ballydoyle and give Aidan O'Brien another St Leger

The first time Tom Marquand won the St Leger all you could hear was silence but five years on it was the noise that was deafening as a bulging grandstand roared home favourite Scandinavia to hand Aidan O'Brien a hat-trick in the Doncaster Classic.

For all that the atmosphere was totally different on Town Moor's biggest day, there were similarities with Marquand's win on Galileo Chrome in 2020, which was staged behind closed doors due to the pandemic.

Marquand again only got the call-up for a leading St Leger ride late in the day, but he seized his opportunity on Scandinavia by fending off challengers from everywhere up the home straight before soaking up the adulation of the 27,000-strong crowd.

"There's a bit more atmosphere than last time and it's so special again," the jockey said. "I'm blessed to be on board on the right day. He's an extremely tough horse. Aidan has got an incredible record in the race for a good reason.

"It was tough for him. He had to battle off Paddy's [Twomey's] horse first [Carmers] and then Stay True and I was a little bit worried late on as it's a long way up that straight on soft ground."

Tom Marquand: took advantage of Ryan Moore's absence

Tom Marquand was winning the St Leger for a second time, both for members of the O'Brien familyCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

There was a hint of disbelief in Marquand that history could repeat itself. He stepped in on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Galileo Chrome when Shane Crosse tested positive for Covid and this time even more cards had to fall his way. Ballydoyle jockeys Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan were unavailable due to injury and suspension and, having been lined up for one of O'Brien's three runners, he got on Scandinavia at the 48-hour declaration stage.

"It's a shame someone has to miss out for another person to have an opportunity, but the ride has to fall to someone and luckily it was me," he said.

"I'd have been happy with any of them because being given a ride by Aidan O'Brien in a Classic is big, but I was especially happy when it was him because I rode him as a two-year-old at Newmarket and really liked him. Sometimes the stars align."

The stars, planets and galaxies have tended to align for O'Brien in the St Leger, with Scandinavia becoming his fifth winner in the last nine years, and ninth overall.

The son of Justify vied for the early lead with stablemate and dual Derby winner Lambourn and was still to the fore two furlongs out when the decibels from the crowd escalated.

Having seen off his rivals entering the final furlong, Scandinavia had one last challenger as Rahiebb began to close up the inner, but he showed great tenacity to hold on by a neck.

Speaking from Leopardstown, O'Brien said: "I'm delighted. He's hardy and Tom gave him a great ride. He stays very well, obviously, but we were a little bit worried when the ground went on the slow side. The better the ground, the better you'll see him."

Scandinavia, who drifted out to 2-1 on the day, has not looked back since powering to a wide-margin success in first-time cheekpieces in the Bahrain Trophy in July, following that up by becoming just the second three-year-old to win the Goodwood Cup in 25 years.

Scandinavia: proved the pick of BallydoyleCredit: Grossick Racing (racingpost.com/photos)

He looked every inch a Cup horse for next year, but there could be a major target to come imminently with O'Brien raising the possibility of the Melbourne Cup, a race last year's St Leger winner Jan Brueghel travelled down for only to be ruled out by the stewards.

"He has a beautiful temperament and he stays, but he'll probably have no problem coming back to a mile and a half as he has loads of gears," O'Brien said.

"Every week he's getting better. He's in the Melbourne Cup and he has to get scanned to see whether he's eligible to go or not, but there's every chance the lads might want to go down there with him."

Paddy Power reacted by cutting Scandinavia to 10-1 (from 16) for the Melbourne Cup on November 4.

Scandinavia (Tom Marquand) holds off Rahiebb to win the St Leger

Scandinavia crosses the line narrowly ahead of Rahiebb and stablemate Stay TrueCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Having gone so close on his first ride in a Classic, Ray Dawson was left to reflect on what might have been on the Roger Varian-trained Rahiebb.

"I thought inside the furlong-marker we'd get there," he said. "It was a great run and we're absolutely delighted with him. To get that close for a jockey is gutting, but he's a lovely horse."

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