Irish St. Leger: "I’m not sure we ever had one that looks as exciting as him”

Aidan O’Brien feels Scandinavia could be the most exciting stayer he has ever trained ahead of his latest big-race assignment in the Comer Group International Irish St. Leger.

The Ballydoyle handler has saddled seven previous winners of the Curragh Classic, with four-time Gold Cup hero Yeats and dual Gold Gup winner Kyprios among those on the roll of honour.

It is therefore significant O’Brien feels he has found a horse who could be better than both of those in Scandinavia, who won the St Leger at Doncaster on this weekend 12 months ago and in winning the Gold Cup and a second Goodwood Cup this season has established himself as the new king of the staying division.

“He looks very exciting, doesn’t he? He looks very straightforward, he has a massive high cruise and he loves doing what he’s doing,” said the trainer.

While the son of Justify was all out to beat the defending champion Trawlerman in an epic Gold Cup in June, the result of the rematch on the Sussex Downs at the end of July was emphatic.

In his defence Trawlerman did not enjoy the clearest of runs, but Scandinavia was much the best in any case, chasing down the riderless Amiloc to pull eight and a half lengths clear of John and Thady Gosden’s now-retired stable star.

O’Brien added: “We always felt when he gets to the front he doesn’t do much because when he works he’ll only work beside a horse. He obviously knew there was a jockey on the other horse at Goodwood and we saw what was in there – he just kept chasing after him.

“As a four-year-old, I’m not sure we ever had one that looks as exciting as him.”

Scandinavia’s six rivals include two stable companions in dual Group One winner Jan Brueghel and Irish St Leger Trial winner Queenstown.

Joseph O’Brien saddles Trustyourinstinct, Tennessee Stud and Leinster, with the William Haggas-trained Arabian Force completing the line-up.

Plenty of familiar names will contest the BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave the likely favourite on what is his first start since winning the July Cup at Newmarket.

Donnacha’s father Aidan runs Mission Central, who won the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot but has since come up short in the July Cup and the Nunthorpe, as well as Brussels and Charles Darwin.

“Mission Central ran well at York. Over five furlongs you’d probably have to go a bit more forward with him – we gave him a chance at York and it’s very hard to make up the ground if you give them a chance there. We think over five at the Curragh it will suit him well,” O’Brien said.

“Charles Darwin has been disappointing and we’re just hoping he can start getting it together a bit, and Brussels is a solid Group horse.”

A strong British contingent includes the second, third and fourth from the Nunthorpe – Starlust (Ralph Beckett), Rumstar (Jonathan Portman) and Time For Sandals (Harry Eustace) – as well as the sixth home Night Raider.

The latter won the Palace House and Temple Stakes in the spring, but has not found that form since.

Richard Brown, adviser to owners Wathnan Racing, said: “A stiff five furlongs is probably his ideal conditions and he ran a solid race in the Nunthorpe behind Bacio – it was probably an OK run without being ‘wow’.

“He started the year brilliantly and we’ve sort of lost him again a little bit, but this is sprinters, it can happen and he was only beaten a length and a half in this race last year, so hopefully he can go and run another decent race.”