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By Cornelius Lysaght
BBC horse racing correspondent
Owner Paul Dean has his own advice, although st Leger week started with some hoo-haa over Theresa May’s honours list.
Sir Ron Priestley, ranked a playful competition against Logician, Sir Dragonet and co. in flat racing’s oldest and final traditional race of this season staged at Doncaster, is just one of a string of horses Dean has appointed after friends to whom he is also awarded’his own type’ of knighthood.
The late Mr Priestley was an early client in the gaming store opened in the 1960s by Dean, among the racehorse owners that had been firmly about the Mark Johnston bandwagon nicely prior to his successful operation at Middleham, North Yorkshire became as high profile as it is today.
And talking Sir Ron Priestley’s jockey Franny Norton, 49, will be part of an equine name-check, if not a long-service gong, was a standing dish in the jockeys’ changing room for decades.
A champion amateur boxer who turned down the chance to visit the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur so as to concentrate on becoming a jockey, the Scouser, has had to shake on his way to racing’s summit.
A particularly successful apprentice rider, a later teaming up with Johnston, who also saddles outsider Nayef Road, although he originally found the going hefty as a fully-fledged rider, has established a sin.
However, though Norton’s ridden in three Classic races – in the 2014 St Leger and in two stagings of the 1,000 Guineas – he has never been successful at the highest Group One level of the sport.
Maybe twice a winner at Goodwood in August, Sir Ron Priestley, may fulfill that CV void .
Norton explained:”We have not got to the base of himand he is always dug deep for me.
“We all know exactly what Logician and the others are attracted to the table, however we also know what we’re bringing to the table and, above all, if there is any chinks in their armour Sir Ron can locate them because he is tough and he’s brave.
“The three in front of him in the gambling, are they that bombproof? I am very positive and I will be providing my horse all the positive vibes.”
Together with Norton being the most flat jockey – ahead of Frankie Dettori – along with having ridden his first winner in May 1989 before many of his rivals were born, a victory at this level could be acclaimed.
While admitting it could be a”good story”, he insists he’s philosophical about what might or might not occur.
“If Franny Norton ends his racing career, and he didn’t ride a Group One winner, would I lose any sleep? No I won’t,” he said.
“If Franny Norton wins a Group One race along with a Classic, does it make it any better? No it doesn’t. Will it put up my career further? No, since I will be finished in a few years anyway.
“But you are right it would be a good story – folks enjoy a rollercoaster, and that is what I have had – so, yes it would be good.”
As much as eight runners are expected to line up in the St Leger, first staged before the Epsom Derby in 1776.
The field ridden by Dettori is led from the unbeaten Logician, a son of winner racehorse-turned-stallion Frankel and trained by John Gosden.
Dettori, who’s looking for his sixth St Leger victory – in contrast to Gosden for whom success would be number five – stated:”He’s still learning, however, he hit the line nicely [in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August], and that will bring him further.”
The Dettori/Gosden accessibility has been much more like a juggernaut in important prizes throughout the summer – and more to come, especially Permit in October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris – but the Irish-based Aidan O’Brien group was in nearly equally potent kind.
Consequently, O’Brien and Gosden are efficiently neck and throat at the prize-money-decided British coaches’ championship – which proceeds till 31 December – however although Gosden holds a #300,000-plus guide, the 700,000 online at Doncaster, together with benefits down to sixth position, could readily make all the difference.
Sir Dragonet, that shot to prominence if operating away with the Chester Vase at May before completing down the field in the Epsom Derby, is greatest fancied of a three-strong O’Brien challenge as the County Tipperary coach goes to get a third win in 3 years, seven overall.
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