Leger's looking marvellous for Gosden and Buick

Classic class: Masked Marvel narrowly wins the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket on his last start
Michael Curran13 April 2012

John Gosden and William Buick can land back-to-back renewals of the St Leger with Masked Marvel in the final Classic of the season at Doncaster tomorrow. Just 12 months on from the stirring victory of Arctic Cosmos on Town Moor, the trainer and jockey return with a huge chance of notching up another big-race success.

While Gosden traditionally always starts and finishes the season strongly, this year he has been given a huge boost by the emergence of Nathaniel, the impressive winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

For many, he would be a certainty for this but the trainer is aiming him at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe instead, which has opened the door for Masked Marvel to land the Leger.

The Montjeu colt is a winner of three of his six starts and boasts a victory over Richard Hannon's Census in a Group Three event at Newmarket last time out. Quite why that rival is now shorter in the betting seems a bit of anomaly as while the winning distance was only a head, Masked Marvel's superiority was much more.

Also, he was forced into making the running that day and Buick has repeatedly stated he will be much better with something to aim at.

Sea Moon's superiority over his York rivals was surely exaggerated by the soft ground and it will be quicker at Doncaster, so Sir Michael Stoute's hot favourite is one to take on.

Earlier on the card, Red Duke is a strong fancy to return to winning ways in the Champagne Stakes. John Quinn's two-year-old looked a smart horse when landing the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket and was fancied to follow up at Goodwood.

In a race Kieren Fallon will want to forget, he was caught in a pocket with nowhere to go as Richard Hughes nicked it from the front on Chandlery, whom Red Duke had beaten the time before.

Once in the clear he flew but the race was lost, so compensation awaits tomorrow.

Fallon was faultless on Kevin Ryan's York Glory last time but stable jockey Phillip Makin takes over in the Portland Handicap.

The three-year-old has been in great form all year and continues to defy the handicapper.

This latest 7lb rise looks quite harsh but York Glory has been handed that because he appeared to be far better than he had shown previously in what was supposed to be his toughest test to date at York. He is certainly one on the up.

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