THE INDIAN ST. LEGER (GR.I)
The Indian St. Leger (Gr.1) is the longest and the last of the five Indian Classic races run in Western India. It also is the third leg of the Indian Triple Crown. This race was first run on Cantley Common, Doncaster in 1778. The race was named after Lt. Gen Antony St. Leger, a popular local sportsman in England.
The first running of this race in India was as “The Governor-General’s Cup” in the year 1944 till 1949 and thereafter run as The Indian St. Leger. The inaugural running of this race was won by ch c “ROYAL WINDSOR” owned by HH Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda, trained by M. C. Patel and ridden by E. Britt. 8 runners faced the flag, net stakes were Rs.33,825/-.
The Indian St. Leger (Gr.1) is generally contested late in March by 4 year olds over 2800 mts. Geldings were not permitted to race till 1965 and for a few years in between. The first gelding to have won this race was “THUNDER STORM” in the year 1970 in Pune, owned by M/s. M. H. Khajotia, HH Vaziralli and Sohrab Karaka, trained by D. P. Pandole and ridden by S Smith. This was the first year the Club (RWITC) extended the guaranteed prize money, in addition to sweepstakes, to the Indian St. Leger (Gr.1).
R. R. Byramji is the only trainer till date to record a hat trick in this race “SWEET MEMORIES” (1975), “COMMANCHE” (1976), and “SQUANDERER” (1977). The horses who have won the Indian Triple Crown (ie: 2000 Guineas, Derby, St. Leger) till date are 1953/54 “COMMONER”, 1961/62 “LOYAL MANZAR” , 1963/64 “PRINCE PRADEEP”, 1967/68 “OUR SELECT”, 1976/77 “SQUANDERER”, 1981/82 “ALMANAC”, 1991/92 “ASTONISH”, 1996/97 “INDICTMENT”, and 1999/2000 “SMART CHIEFTAN”.
The longest winning margin of this race till date is “distance” held by “SWEET MEMORIES” (1975), “MAYAPAN” (1981) and “MENORAH” (1988). Interestingly, the verdict between the 2nd, 3rd and 4th horses for the above race was also “distance”.
The closest finish of this race was when “AMOROUS KNIGHT” won from “SILVER HAVEN” and “SOLITARY SPLENDOUR” in the year 1986 the verdict being Shd, Shd . The professionals who have won this race maximum number of times till date are R. R. Byramji (6 times) followed by I. A. Sait (5) and S. M. Shah (5), and among the jockeys we have S Chavan (5) and M. Jagdish (5).
Interestingly there are two instances of the first four horses in one Indian classic having all been chestnuts in the year 1972/73 – The Indian Derby and The Indian St. Leger.
