St Leger contender Westover set to swerve Doncaster for Arc bid

Westover, as short as 4-1 for the Cazoo St Leger, is set to miss the Doncaster Classic in favour of a crack at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on October 2.

Trained by Ralph Beckett for Juddmonte, Westover finished third in the Derby at Epsom but was a brilliant winner of the Irish Derby and went off the 13-8 favourite for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

However, Colin Keane, who had replaced Rob Hornby on the three-year-old prior to the Irish Derby, got no tune out of his mount at Ascot and they finished a tame fifth of sixth and 18 lengths behind the winner Pyledriver.

The Frankel colt's Arc odds range from 16-1 to 22-1 and that seems the target, rather than the St Leger, which takes place on September 10.

Juddmonte's Barry Mahon, speaking on Wednesday at York after the operation's promising Chaldean landed the Acomb, told ITV: "He's in very good form. He's having a break at Ralph's and is in good nick. I'd say the next time you'll see him would be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."

Top Japanese horse Titleholder heads the Arc betting at 5-1, while Torquator Tasso, who caused a huge shock by winning the race at odds of 72-1 last year, is 7-1.

Read more:

Is 'maturing' Arc favourite Titleholder the one to end Japan's hoodoo?

'Kempton an option but it's not the plan' - Pyledriver camp plot Arc route

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