Leger Glory For Frankel's Logician

It was all Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Saturday's G1 William Hill St Leger at Doncaster as Khalid Abdullah's homebred made light work of the task to provide his sire with a second British Classic and the first in these silks. Heavily-backed into 5-6 favouritism, the G2 Great Voltigeur S. winner was anchored towards the rear early by a confident Frankie Dettori as the pace proved predictably strong. Angled towards the stand's side once straightening for home, the grey produced a telling surge to gain command passing the two-furlong pole and his rider was looking around for non-existent dangers in the last furlong. At the line, the unbeaten colt had recorded a new course-record time as he sauntered to a 2 1/4-length success from Sir Ron Priestley (GB) (Australia {GB}), with Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) a head away in third. Frankie was celebrating an astounding 15th group 1 in 2019 and a sixth St Leger and said, “There was lots of expectation and he delivered. He's got plenty of pace and has only run four times, so it is scary to say that there is some improvement there.”

Twelve weeks ago, if someone had forecast this type of achievement for Logician it would have seemed far-fetched to say the least, with his second success only gained in workmanlike fashion in a 10-furlong novice contest at Newmarket June 21. He was more demonstrative on his debut over that trip at Newbury May 17 and he returned to that Berkshire venue to bring up a third score in a 12-furlong handicap from modest rivals July 4. It was the stable's vibe that created a wave of support for him heading to the Voltigeur at York Aug. 21 and he duly slipped seamlessly into another dimension with a 1 3/4-length defeat of Constantinople (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) there. Interestingly, seconds after Logician had wrapped up the oldest Classic the colt that had trailed him by daylight in the Voltigeur, Norway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), had provided him with another boost by winning Leopardstown's G3 Kilternan S.

Taking all the preliminaries in his stride, Logician was instantly alert as the gates opened and broke with enthusiasm for the latest renewal of this prestigious affair. Reined back to sit with only two behind including his main market rival Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), he proved amenable to the restraint and loped through the first half of the race which was shaped by Ballydoyle's target horse Western Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}). As Il Paradiso (Galileo {Ire}) took hold of the pace as the Rosegreen stable's second wave three out, Logician was being prepared wide of Sir Dragonet and it was this pair who took the eye but the latter's rider Donnacha O'Brien was sending out distress signals approaching the final quarter mile. At that point, the favourite was getting ready to put his seal on the race and the last furlong was him out on his own allowing Frankie time to soak up the moment.

That ground-devouring stride handed down by his sire who first announced his brilliance at this meeting in 2010 saw him become the fastest horse to cover this distance of all those who have contested this Classic and the Park Hill. “He's a serious horse and that's probably the easiest one of all my wins here,” the peerless rider stated. “The ground was a bit dry for him and they tried to test my stamina–for just a moment I thought he may not pick up and I wasn't sure about his stamina beforehand, but I think he's just a bit above these horses. I was always in control and I kept my eye on Sir Dragonet–when I saw him off the bridle I knew then I had the race won. We're going to have him next year, which is great news and he's made for a mile and a half. He's got a wonderful nature.”

This was a fifth edition for John Gosden and he said, “It was fast ground for a Leger, but that probably helped him stay. He was a touch keen early, but he's done it under hands and heels with one flick, so it was a great performance on ground he would not have been in love with. We'll probably put him away until next year when a mile and a half will be a good trip for him. They set a solid pace and it was a truly-run Leger where they all ran their hearts out. He's a laid-back character and was a pretty relaxed boy afterwards. He sleeps most of the time and has a lovely attitude to life.”

Charlie Johnston said of the second and third, “They both ran fantastic races and the winner is clearly a very good horse. He had a bit more toe in the final quarter mile. They've both run absolute screamers, in a different year they'd have been first and second, but the winner is very good. I'm proud of both horses–they both started off in handicaps in the spring, so they've come a long way and we're hopeful they'll give us a lot more fun next year.”

Logician's dam is the listed-placed miler Scuffle (GB) (Daylami {Ire}) who had already produced two black-type performers in the GIII Glens Falls S., GIII La Prevoyante H. and GIII The Very One S. winner and GI E. P. Taylor S. runner-up Suffused (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and the listed-placed Battlement (GB) (Dansili {GB}). Her 4-year-old by Frankel, Collide (GB), had shown smart form for the Hugo Palmer stable and stays a mile and a half well, so it is probably the sire who has imparted the necessary stamina into Logician to afford him this landmark success. It is no coincidence that Frankel's two domestic Classic winners so far have been in the Oaks and this race and it is becoming a pattern that he is producing horses that stay much further than he promised to.

The second dam is Tantina (Distant View), whose career-best came with a win in the seven-furlong Sceptre S. at this meeting in 2003. Despite the status of that now-promoted contest being only listed at the time, that was a formidable effort as she made all to give three pounds and a five-length beating to the high-class Chic (GB) (Machiavellian). She transmitted that quality at first hand to her G1 Dubai Duty Free-winning son Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk) and the G2 Temple S. winner and G1 July Cup runner-up Bated Breath (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who is now an established sire. She is also the second dam of Wednesday's Listed Scarborough S. scorer Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) who was also runner-up in the G3 Palace House S.

The third dam Didina (GB) (Nashwan), who won the GII Dahlia H., lists the G2 Gimcrack S. scorer Ajaya (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) among her descendants, while the fourth dam Didicoy (Danzig) is a half-sister to Juddmonte's European champion 2-year-old colt of 1997 Xaar (GB). Unfortunately, Scuffle's 2017 son of Invincible Spirit (Ire) died last year, but she also has a yearling filly by Kingman (GB) and a colt foal by Time Test (GB).

Saturday, Doncaster, Britain
WILLIAM HILL ST LEGER S.-G1, £700,000, Doncaster, 9-14, 3yo, 14f 115yT, 3:00.27 (NTR), g/f.
1–LOGICIAN (GB), 127, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)">Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Scuffle (GB) (SP-Eng), by Daylami (Ire)
2nd Dam: Tantina, by Distant View
3rd Dam: Didina (GB), by Nashwan
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £396,970. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, $639,818. *1/2 to Suffused (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), MGSW-US, GISP-Can & SP-Eng, $697,248; and Battlement (GB) (Dansili {GB}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sir Ron Priestley (GB), 127, c, 3, Australia (GB)–Reckoning (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (70,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Paul Dean; B-Mascalls Stud (GB); T-Mark Johnston. £150,500.
3–Nayef Road (Ire), 127, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Rose Bonheur (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (100,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Mohamed Obaida; B-B V Sangster (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £75,320.
Margins: 2 1/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 0.80, 7.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: Sir Dragonet (Ire), Il Paradiso, Technician (Ire), Dashing Willoughby (GB), Western Australia (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.