MURPHY'S LAW
Saturday's G1 Ladbrokes St Leger had a straightforward look to it beforehand, with Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) dominating the betting and formbook but there was drama galore as he stumbled in early straight and unseated Seamie Heffernan before the 22-1 outsider Harbour Law (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) swooped late to become a fairytale Classic winner for Laura Mongan and jockey George Baker. Also the first St Leger winner to be handled by a female trainer and the first Classic winner to be trained at Epsom since 1969, the bay who was last seen finishing fourth in the G3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket July 7 steamed to Ventura Storm (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Housesofparliament (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the final 50 yards to prevail by 3/4 of a length from the former. “We saw him in the paddock and couldn't believe how well he looked against the other horses–it's amazing and a bit surreal at the moment,” his trainer said. “All credit to George, as that wasn't particularly the way we wanted him ridden but he knows him. We knew he was a classy horse who would go somewhere in life and he has. This proves that with the right ammunition Epsom can do it. We have the facilities and a great team at home. He's a brilliant horse who has got better and better and matured throughout the season and I hope we are lucky enough to hold on to him.”
Saturday, Doncaster, Britain
LADBROKES ST LEGER S.-G1, £700,000, DON, 9-10, 3yo, 14f 132yT, 3:05.48, gd.
1–#@&HARBOUR LAW (GB), 127, c, 3, by Lawman (Fr)
1st Dam: Abunai (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Ingozi (GB), by Warning (GB)
3rd Dam: Inchmurrin (Ire), by Lomond
(24,000gns RNA Ylg '14 TATYEA; £30,000 2yo '15 GOFLON). O-Mrs Jackie Cornwell; B-Hascombe & Valiant Studs (GB); T-Laura Mongan; J-George Baker. £396,970. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, $575,396. *1/2 to Moheet (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ventura Storm (Ire), 127, c, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Sarawati (Ire), by Haafhd (GB). (€54,000 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; €50,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB; 110,000gns 2yo '15 TATBRE). O-Middleham Park Racing LXXII; B-Laurence Kennedy (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £150,500.
3–Housesofparliament (Ire), 127, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Sharp Lisa, by Dixieland Band. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Smithfield Inc. (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £75,320.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 10. Odds: 22.00, 14.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Muntahaa (Ire), Sword Fighter (Ire), Harrison (GB), Ormito (Ger), The Tartan Spartan (Ire). DNF: Idaho (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Runner-up at 20-1 over 12 furlongs on Lingfield's Polytrack on debut Mar. 18, Harbour Law went one better next time over that trip at Salisbury May 1 before following up as topweight in a 14-furlong handicap at Sandown 18 days later. Beaten by 3/4 of a length when runner-up to Sword Fighter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Listed Queen's Vase over two miles at Royal Ascot June 17, he looked to have flattened out when fourth to Housesofparliament in the 13-furlong Bahrain Trophy and was rested and built up gradually to this test. Laura Mongan and husband Ian, a former jumps jockey who switched to the flat and steered Twice Over (GB) (Observatory) to glory in the 2011 G1 Juddmonte International during his stint riding for the late Sir Henry Cecil, had been making noises about Harbour Law's chances in the lead-up to this Classic which were mostly ignored by the punters with Idaho on their minds.
Settled in rear early by George Baker with Ballydoyle's 4-6 favourite just ahead, he was travelling smoothly as that colt lost his footing with over three furlongs remaining causing Heffernan to crash to the turf. Angled around Housesofparliament shortly after, he had given that rival and Ventura Storm some rope with two furlongs to run but as they warred ahead he found his stride out wide and reeled them in during a pulsating final lunge to the line. Ian Mongan was dumbfounded afterwards. “I can't get my head around the fact that we have won the St Leger,” he said. “We came here hoping he would run well and in a dream I thought he might win and he has. He's such a lovely horse and the easiest of all those we have. I sat down with Henry Cecil three or four years ago and he said 'Good horses make good trainers' and he was right. He has put us on the map and is very professional and a class act. I'm so pleased for Laura, for the yard and for Epsom. If I hear a noise at two in the morning, I get out of bed and go out in my boxer shorts to see how if he is okay. That's how much it's taken for the past six weeks to make sure he gets here in one piece. I'm so grateful to everyone who has played a part in bringing him here. This horse and this win means everything and I am going to celebrate it. I pray he isn't sold and that he'll be a lovely Cup horse for us next year.”
George Baker is one of the tallest jockeys in the weighing room and the effort of making this kind of weight can often tell, but he was in ebullient form after crossing the line. “I can't believe that and I'm so happy for Laura and Ian [Mongan], as they've had so much belief in him and have done everything right,” he commented. “It's been 110 per-cent effort from them and they really deserve it. At Newmarket last time the ground was a bit quick for him and this is a sweet result. I worked him at Kempton about two weeks ago and he felt brilliant, but I felt we all had Idaho to beat. I thought to myself when he unseated to take my time and not to get into a panic and my horse was lugging in behind and not helping me too much, but when I got to the other horses's quarters I was always going to win. Normally when I do nine-stone-two it's a grind, but it's different when you are doing it for a Classic. Some of my opportunities came from other people's misfortunes and I just feel when they arise you have to grasp them with both hands. Today, the Mongans and myself have done that.”
Nick Cornwell, who owns the horse with wife Jackie, was also in a spin afterwards. “We thought we had a chance, but this is a tremendous training performance by Laura and Ian and a cracking ride by George and all at Whitcombe,” he said. “We have a pre-training yard and breeding operation there and Laura has taken over the mantle on the racing side. This horse has progressed and progressed, so we can't ask for any more and I think he'll progress again. We were praying for rain on the way up and when we got about 15 miles from the track, it stopped and depression set in but the horse did it all on his own merit. Idaho is a cracking horse, but overall ours was the best on the day. We'll digest and see where we go next.”
Ventura Storm's trainer Richard Hannon said of the runner-up, “He has run a great race and he looked like he was going to win for most of the straight but got chinned. I am a little disappointed not to win, but I could not be more pleased with the horse–he has run a super race and the owners are delighted.” After Seamie Heffernan walked away from his fall and was taken to Sheffield for a precautionary head scan, connections were left to reflect on their misfortune. Coolmore spokesman Kevin Buckley said, “That wasn't part of the plan–it looked like a false step and it is so disappointing, but the main thing is that Seamie is okay. Housesofparliament does appreciate proper good-to-firm ground and they are taking the top off here, so it might have just blunted him a little bit but fair play to Laura Mongan. It's a great result for her and I'm delighted for them.”
Harbour Law has a pedigree that should have seen him command substantially more than the £30,000 he fetched last year, particularly as his half-brother Moheet had gone for 800,000gns at the Tattersalls Breeze-Ups a year earlier. While that colt was good enough to be third in the G3 Craven S., their respective career paths and fortunes have highlighted the unpredictability of the bloodstock market. Abunai, who was a useful sprint handicapper for Anthony Oppenheimer, is a half-sister to Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), champion grass mare in Canada by way of her exploits in winning the GI E. P. Taylor S. and GII Canadian S., and also to the dams of the group and graded-stakes winners Hatta Fort (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Blue Bayou (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) and Fantastic Pick (GB) (Fantastic Light). The third dam, the G2 Child S. winner and GI E.P. Taylor S. and G2 Sun Chariot S. runner-up Inchmurrin, is best known for producing the G3 Hungerford S., G3 Greenham S. and G3 Criterion S. winner and G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up Inchinor (GB) who went on to be a successful sire. Two of her many talented descendants to further boost the family's reputation in recent times are the G3 Thoroughbred S. and G3 Prestige S. winner Malabar (GB) (Raven's Pass) and G3 Give Thanks S. and G3 Noblesse S. winner and G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Venus de Milo (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}). Abunai has the as-yet unraced 2-year-old gelding Flying Raconteur (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) and yearling filly Siena Firenze (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) to represent her.
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