Yeats lands Irish Leger but only just
Saturday, September 15, 2007
By Jimmy Walker
"My heart was in my mouth". This was the reaction of former
Champion jockey Kieren Fallon after he had ridden the 4-7 favourite Yeats to
a half length
victory over stable-mate Scorpion in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh today.
It was touch and go, there is no doubt about that, for Scorpion under Seamus
Heffernan had led the field a merry dance and just before the final furlong,
he kicked for home and went clear.
At this stage, Yeats appeared to be struggling and when he eventually got to
Scorpion he didn't show much enthusiasm about going past.
Fallon had to produce all his guile to get Yeats to concentrate on the job
in hand and it was only in the final few strides that he got up with Mores
Wells finishing third.
Fallon said afterwards: "To be honest I thought Seamus had stolen the race.
My fellow was having difficulty getting to the leader and I thought I was
beaten.
"The closer we got to the post the lesser it appeared to be Yeats' chance
and it was a great relief to me to get there in the final strides."
Trainer Aiden O'Brien wasn't at the Curragh, eing at Doncaster for the
English St Leger in which he had the second and third Mahler and Honolulu
behind Lucarno.
John Magnier head of the Coolmore operation who own Yeats and Scorpion said:
"The English
Leger went not unexpectedly to a horse who has been running in the best of
company this year. We are disappointed but we can't win everything."
As far as the Irish Leger was concerned he said: "That was as good as it
gets. The idea now is to travel to France for Arc weekend and Yeats may run
there.
"But then again we have Septimus who was successful at Doncaster on Friday.
The Prix Cadran is a possibility for either horse and of course we also have
Australia."
Meanwhile, Lucarno (7-2) gave Jimmy Fortune a first Classic win at Doncaster.
Fourth in the Derby at Epsom earlier in the season, trainer John Gosden did
not commit his colt to the race until the final few days with lingering
doubts over Lucarno's stamina.
But he need not have worried as his charge quickened up with a furlong to
run and swept past the front-running Mahler to win by a length. Mahler stuck
on for second, with favourite Honolulu in third.
Fortune said: "He's made up into a very good horse. We had a little doubt
about him staying but he stayed well.
