Blue Bunting will have to defy history if she is to win the St Leger
Published:It’s the only Classic that pits the boys against the girls and this year the females are looking to Blue Bunting to seal the bragging rights.
Fillies have a great record of finishing in the top three of a St Leger but not such a strong record when it comes to winning the final Classic of the season.
Over the last 30 years, just 18 fillies have taken their chance against the boys – it’s surprising to find three in the field for Saturday’s race – and while three have won, that’s just a 10 per cent strike rate.
Compare it to the 66.6 per cent strike rate that fillies have of finishing in the first three and it’s easy to see why many punters are taking the 4/1 for Blue Bunting to win the St Leger.
Three wins, six seconds and three thirds mean one of the three fillies in the race is going to be in the frame, and having watched Wonder Of Wonders be beaten by Blue Bunting on both of her last starts, punters should side with the Godolphin horse.
Wonder Of Wonders (33/1) and Rumh (200/1) complete the line-up for the fillies, but expect Blue Bunting’s stablemate Rumh to play the role of pacemaker on Saturday and she’s not even worth a dabble at 200/1.
Frankie Dettori will take the ride on Blue Bunting on Saturday and on five occasions has the punters favourite jockey managed to steer his mount to victory.
On only one of those five occasions did Dettori win in the colours of Godolphin and while the Maktoum family’s private stables have won this race on five occasions, the Godolphin/Detorri combination doesn’t have the same effect in the Leger as it does in other races.
Sea Moon may be the short favourite at 11/8 but the Voltigeur winner won’t have it all his own way on Saturday.
