Racing will be the winner, according to Willie Carson, if Desert Hero is able to replicate his historic achievement aboard Dunfermline and carry the royal silks to Classic glory in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger.
It was 1977 when Carson famously got the better of Lester Piggott and Alleged to give the late Queen Classic success in the Doncaster showpiece, during the same season the duo also tasted Oaks glory at Epsom in the height of the Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Dunfermline remains the last royal Classic winner, but now 46 years later the attention is once again on Town Moor as the William Haggas-trained Desert Hero attempts to add his name to the history books.
Having already provided the King and Queen with their first Royal Ascot triumph, the son of Sea The Stars, who will be ridden by Tom Marquand, now bids to add one of the sport’s crown jewels to his ever-growing CV.
“If the King wins then that will help racing, without a doubt,” Carson told the PA news agency.
“I rode two Classic winners for the Queen, but she wasn’t there either time. She was too busy with the Silver Jubilee celebrations for the Oaks and she was at Balmoral for the Leger, but I spoke to her on the telephone after.
“It’s a very good race, our oldest Classic, and it has the makings of a good horse race and the makings of a good story and we’re looking forward to a marvellous race.
“And if the King does arrive at Doncaster on the day and wins, then there is only one winner – racing.”
Carson won the St Leger three times, but 35 years after his final Doncaster triumph aboard Minster Son, another member of the family now has his chance to add his name to the annals of Britain’s oldest Classic.
That is because Desert Hero has been helped in his preparation for the big race by Carson’s grandson Luke, who rides the King George V Stakes and Gordon Stakes scorer in his work and is a key figure in the colt’s journey to the top.
“He’s looked after and ridden every day by my grandson, his name is Luke Carson,” continued the 80-year-old, who partnered 17 British Classic winners during his decorated career.
“He rides him in the morning, looks after him, he’s his baby.
“So I will be very happy if the King wins, for all sorts of reasons. He’s obviously got a chance, but I wouldn’t say he has as good a chance as Dunfermline did.
“Not only was that Leger famous because the Queen won it, but it was the only time in his career Alleged was beat. It was an incredible race and she was a very good filly, Dunfermline.”
Not only does Carson have the family connection with Desert Hero to look forward to, he also owns a half-sister of the dam of ante-post favourite Gregory, and it promises to be a huge afternoon for the Scotsman, who may struggle to juggle his loyalties in the closing stages.
He added: “It’s a race I won three times. The race was quite kind to me.
“The horse Gregory, I own the dam’s half-sister called Leah. For me it is a big day all round.
“We’ve got a few irons in the fire and I guess I’ll be shouting for them both. Maybe a dead-heat!
Gregory heads to Doncaster Moor as market leader despite losing for the first time in the Great Voltigeur at York.
It was Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous who lowered the Golden Horn colt’s colours on that occasion, but Carson believes Gregory could be seen to better effect this weekend.
He said: “I saw an interview that John Gosden gave and I agreed with everything he said about why Gregory got beat at York.
“Unfortunately Frankie (Dettori) rode a fantastic race in the following race that day (Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International Stakes), but he fell into a bad trap on Gregory by going too fast.
“John Gosden pointed that out and he also pointed out that when the race was over and he was beat, and Frankie had decided that was it, the horse still ran on.
“So Continuous is not certain to beat him at Doncaster. I think Frankie thought he would be able to dictate at York, but I’m afraid the dictation got thrown out the window because he had two people annoying him all the way round.”
He has also narrowed the stamina-sapping one-mile-six-furlong contest down to the three at the head of the betting and is relishing the prospect of three of the weighing room’s best slugging it out to lift the trophy.
“It looks like those are the three (Gregory, Continuous and Desert Hero) that should be winning the St Leger and I would say it will be the horse that gets the best ride, basically – the one who it clicks for and whoever gets it right,” said Carson.
“O’Brien will organise the pace and it will be up to Frankie, who is normally very astute when it comes to tactics, I imagine he will not get it wrong this time. Of course, Ryan Moore will just sit on the tail of Frankie, that’s how I see it, whether it happens is another matter.
“You’ve got three of the top jockeys at the top of the game and we’re in for a treat.”
Supreme Ventures Racing urges review of racing rule after Caymanas Park abandonments
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), operators of Caymanas Park, have called for a review of Rule 44 (iii) enforced by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) following the cancellation of two races during the April 27 race meet at Caymanas Park.
In a press conference on Monday addressing the abandoned races, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe expressed frustration with the rule, highlighting its potential impact on the racing industry.
"This rule, unique to Jamaica, imposes a strict five-minute limit after the published post time for races at Caymanas Park," Sharpe stated. "It fails to account for various factors that can delay race starts and penalizes all stakeholders when races are abandoned, affecting punters, jockeys, grooms, trainers, owners, promoters, and the government."
Last year, Caymanas Park contributed over $260 million in combined taxes to the government's coffers. Sharpe urged the JRC to engage SVREL in discussions on Rule 44, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue to address the rule's impact.
"We were not consulted during the initial discussions on this rule, and now, with two races abandoned in a single race day, our concerns have materialized," Sharpe explained. "SVREL is open to collaborating with the JRC to review and refine this amended rule."
Representatives from the Grooms Association, Jockeys Association, and the United Racehorse Trainers Association echoed SVREL's concerns and supported the call for a review of Rule 44.
Sharpe concluded by appealing to regulators, stakeholders, and the public to support the growth of the horseracing industry in Jamaica. "Horseracing has immense potential in Jamaica and can become a significant foreign exchange earner. Realizing this potential requires collaboration among all stakeholders."
SVREL has been operating Caymanas Park since March 2017 after the government divested the property. With investments exceeding J$4 billion in product enhancements and innovations like the Mouttet Mile, which boasts the largest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean, SVREL remains committed to advancing the horseracing experience in Jamaica.
Supreme Ventures Racing regrets abandonment of two races at Caymanas Park on Saturday
Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has expressed regret and disappointment following the abandonment of two races during the Saturday, April 27 race day at Caymanas Park in St Catherine, Jamaica.
The decision to abandon these races, SVREL said, was made in compliance with regulations set forth by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), leading to the refund of all related pools according to SVREL's Pari-mutuel rules.
According to the statement released by SVREL late Saturday, the abandonment of races number one and six, respectively, was declared by the stewards of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) due to delays that exceeded the permitted time frame as stipulated by Rule 44(iii).
Specifically, in race number one, scheduled to commence at 12:00 pm, a saddling issue with horse number five and a mandatory veterinary check for horse number eight, which reared and fell after exiting the saddling barn, resulted in delays beyond the allowable limit.
Similarly, race number six, slated for 3:10 pm, was delayed due to a horse running loose, ultimately leading to its abandonment by the stewards of the JRC.
SVREL explained that the recent amendments to Rule 44(iii), which came into effect from April 1, 2024, mandate strict adherence to race start times with a maximum allowance of five minutes after the published post time. SVREL noted that Jamaica is unique in enforcing such a rule without prior consultation with the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica.
The enforcement of this rule has led to financial losses for industry stakeholders, including owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, punters, and the promoter and as such the disruption caused by the abandonment of these races understandably resulted in unrest among stakeholder groups.
Despite the challenges faced, the race meet resumed with race number seven at approximately 4:00 pm, SVREL noted.
SVREL has now issued a sincere apology to valued customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused by the abandonment of races one and six by the JRC. SVREL also emphasized its readiness for open dialogue with the JRC and all impacted stakeholders to ensure the continued success and integrity of the horseracing industry.
As the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica, SVREL said it remains committed to addressing challenges collaboratively and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service within the industry.
Light seeking to shine again at Sandown
Kitty’s Light is taking aim at his usual season finisher in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
The gelding has been a star for trainer Christian Williams, winning big handicap events like the Eider Chase and the Scottish Grand National and going close in the Charlie Hall and the Coral Trophy.
He has particularly good record in the bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the season, missing out only due to interference when second in 2021 and coming home third in 2022.
Last year he was completed the set of podium finishes when winning by two and a half lengths under usual jockey Jack Tudor.
The two are well acquainted and teamed up for Kitty’s Light’s Grand National bid at Aintree earlier in the month, where he ran a valiant race to finish fifth behind four Grade-One winning Irish chasers.
Williams was incredibly proud of his stable star and is now hoping the gelding can shine again in the Sandown contest he has found to be lucrative in the past.
“It was wonderful, we trained him to win the race and we thought he could, but you couldn’t be disappointed with what he did,” Williams said of the National performance.
“We were thrilled, the horse tried his best and we were very, very proud of horse and jockey.
“He’s come out of it very well, if the race was run today even then he’d be running, he’s in good form.
“He loves it at Sandown with the big fences, his jumping has come on now but even as a five-year-old he nearly won the race.
“He was third the year after that, it really seems to suit him.
“I think he likes going right-handed, he hangs a little bit right at home and he seems to really enjoy it there.
“We’re taking our chance anyway, he seems well and we’ll hope for the best.”
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