O'Brien wins the St Leger for a sixth time & One Jump Ahead out next week

Kew Gardens provided Aidan O'Brien with his sixth win the St Leger at Doncaster. The son of Galileo who had won the Queens Vase and Grand Prix de Paris at Royal Ascot and Longchamp respectively earlier in the season, ran a cracker under a penalty at York last time when third behind Old Persian in the Great Voltigeur Stakes. Ryan Moore's mount stayed on strongly on Town Moor to beat the previously unbeaten filly Lah Ti Dar by two and a quarter lengths. It will be interesting to see which route the winner takes next season because he is a Group 1 winner over twelve and fourteen furlongs now. The Ascot Gold Cup could enter the equation because stamina looks his strong suit. The runner-up didn't travel with much fluency and looked in trouble some way from home. It is therefore to her credit that she finished so close. She remains a very smart prospect who is capable of winninng at the highest level.

Lah Ti Dar's full brother Too Darn Hot made it three out of three in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes half an hour earlier. John Gosden's charge was an emphatic winner of the Solario Stakes at Sandown on his previous outing and he took this step up in grade in his stride. A length and three quarters winner, Frankie Dettori was evidently impressed and the son of Dubawi looks out of the top drawer. It would be no surprise to see him return to the same track at the end of next month and take his chance in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Stakes - the Racing Post Trophy to me and you.

Stablemate Roaring Lion finished second in that event last Autumn but he gained his third Group 1 win over ten furlongs in the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday evening. Given a confident ride by man of the moment Oisin Murphy, the grey son of Kitten's Joy showed a sharp turn of foot to reel in his old rival Saxon Warrior to lead close home. John Gosden's colt had chased home Saxon Warrior in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but has beaten Aidan O'Brien charge four times since. His record over ten furlongs is 1111. Brilliantly handled by the champion trainer elect, he has developed into a top class three year old.

One Jump Ahead is due back from the printers early next week. I will keep clients informed via the Diary. Thank you once again to all those customers who have already purchased a copy - the response has been superb. I am clearly not the only one waiting for the jumps season to engage top gear. There are 172 pages - 11 stable interviews plus an exclusive interview with leading owner Jared Sullivan. Please click on the Publications tab at the top of the page and scroll down to have a look at all the features/sections in the 2018/2019 edition of OJA.

Just a reminder, the Autumn Update will be emailed to clients on Thursday 27th September. There will be full analysis of the Autumn double - the Cambridgeshire and Cesarewitch - plus the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe. Don't forget last year Withhold was advised for the Cesarewitch at 20/1. Roger Charlton's four year old duly bolted up by nearly four lengths at 5/1. There is still plenty of time to order a copy. Priced at £6.00, please head to the Publications section for the site.

In addition to working on the Autumn Update, I am heading to Redcar on Tuesday and then going north of the border at the end of the week. I am working at Ayr on Friday and Saturday. The Ayr Gold Cup is one of my favourite Flat races of the year.