DONCASTER 15:35 2w3738

All 12 ran.

Time: 3m 3.34s Closing Sectional: (3f): 36.3s (104.4%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 120%, Betfair SP 100.7%

A St Leger that hit all of its KPIs, the standard it's meant to be, at the least, and the test it's meant to be, by and large, the gallop only fair for the first mile but increasing far enough out for stamina to be the determining factor, alongside ability; the pre-race dynamic shifted completely when Lah Ti Dar unexpectedly swung this way mid-week, going off favourite ahead of Kew Gardens, the pair chalk-and-cheese in of approach, probably the difference between them on the day as, though first and second, it was a duel that stopped short of direct engagement, Kew Gardens always several steps ahead of the less-mature Lah Ti Dar as they made their moves in the straight from roughly the same position, just worse than mid-division, the extra pressure and class they brought to bear putting gaps in the field in the final 1f.

KEW GARDENS (IRE) had this date for a long time, probably back when he was being prepared for the Derby, a different horse since Epsom, the Queen's Vase (for a second year since its upgrading) opening the floodgates for the best stayer of his generation, Kew Gardens a very good winner of the St Leger in historical , the best since Conduit in 2008 by Timeform's reckoning; all the work he'd done over 2 seasons in getting here (including involvement in 7 Group events) gave him a professional edge on Lah Ti Dar that was apparent at the crucial stage of the race, a decisive difference between them, rationalising their relationship but the weighty performance that shut the door on her was all Kew Garden's doing, taking some stoking up himself but marching to the front 2f out and strong to the end, edging left towards the rail after produced wide, down the middle of the track; his style and skill-set suggests he'd need the emphasis on stamina to win an elite Group 1 over 1½m in 2019, and maybe he's more in the mould of Order of St George, that position now vacant within Ballydoyle.

LAH TI DAR has all of next year to put it right, but her first season has been one of 'what ifs', hard to believe she wouldn't have won an Oaks or two without illness and left light on experience by that absence for a job like this, her naivety costing her, still taking an above-average St Leger winner to beat her; wore a hood during the preliminaries to help keep a lid on her, anchored down the field for the same reason, keen enough, likely to have raced freely for a lesser jockey than Dettori, directly behind Kew Gardens on the home turn but slower on the uptake in the straight, leaving her playing a unfair game of catch-up with a fully-formed rival, chasing him hard in the final 1f, a maintained gap saying more about the winner, Lah Ti Dar seeing out the trip well, substantiating her York form as well as the theory that she'll be a European heavyweight in the 1½m division as a 4-y-o, ready to fill Enable's shoes if needs be.

SOUTHERN (IRE) has elements of both of the first 2 about him, not yet having the class of either but similarly strong on stamina to Kew Gardens and still coming good like Lah Ti Dar, also unraced at 2, and those factors combined make him a perfect 'Cup' horse for next season; took a step forward in form , beaten a little further by Kew Gardens than in the Queen's Vase but in the heat of this race (led briefly - over 2f out - before winner) sooner than he had been there or the Irish St Leger Trial, the sort of higher-intensity involvement that will put him on the front foot for 2019, if not the Long Distance Cup this back-end.

DEE EX BEE added a St Leger fourth to his Derby second but the rest of his CV doesn't read so well as that top line, a so-far winless season saying rather more, and this was still a notch below his Epsom form, the different trip not doing much for him, racing in touch and right in the firing line over 3f out (off the bridle for a while before then) but lacking any change of pace, a recurring theme.

OLD PERSIAN had positional and weight advantages over Kew Gardens when winning the 12f Voltigeur, meeting a different horse here, but the trip also played a part in skewing their relationship relative to York, Old Persian clearly a non-stayer over this far, after going smoothly in touch and nosing ahead for a few strides over 2f out, a snapshot that shows he's still going strong at this stage of a season in which he's done so much.

RAYMOND TUSK (IRE) was seemingly in the market for sweeping up the pieces, having his time bided (in the last pair into the straight), but the race didn't really go that way, ending up running well for sixth, but via only late gains, flat to the boards 3f out; amid some ambitious campaigning he's had a fine first season, never out of the first 2 when away from Group 1s.

NELSON (IRE) had beaten Kew Gardens (by 3l) on this day last year in the Group 3 at Leopardstown, reduced now to a pacemaker for that one, a scenario in the Queen's Vase becoming a strategy ever since, but that he didn't drop away altogether highlights that the pace he set wasn't strong, headed 3f out, not much space thereafter as others pushed him across.

PROSCHEMA (IRE) was in over his head at this level, but it told only from 2½f out, in the firing line until then, purposeful with it; he's the type to do better still as a 4-y-o, given the size of him.

MAID UP was supplemented into the race (before a much better filly in Lah Ti Dar had her intentions revealed), and the level proved too much, never competitive (patiently ridden), not taking away from all the progress she's made as a 3-y-o, starting off a mark of just 67.

LOXLEY (IRE) was the next in the betting behind the 'big 2' following his advances in , more likely that the distance rather than the level was a bridge too far for him, but more of an issue might have been his mindset, sweating up badly beforehand, cutting out in the race after cha the leaders 3f out.

THE PENTAGON (IRE) seemed to be on the same level as Kew Gardens at one point, and was only 3¾l off him in the Voltigeur, but an anti-climatic season took a turn for the worse here, stamina not the issue, just running flat, no impression from the back.

ZABRISKIE (IRE) has been set unrealistic tasks right through the season, fostered by a flattering third in the Dante, always behind here, beaten long before the trip came into play.