Masked Marvel completes back-to-back St Leger wins for John Gosden and William Buick

John Gosden may have joked after winning the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster that he can also train sprinters, but it is Britain’s oldest Classic that his stable has dominated in recent seasons, sending out Lucarno to win in 2007, Arctic Cosmos in 2010 and Masked Marvel on Saturday. Gosden also won the race with Shantou in 1996.

And just forty minutes after Masked Marvel’s victory on Town Moor, another Gosden runner, Duncan, battled home in the bravest of fashions to force a dead-heat in the Irish St Leger with the Mark Johnston-trained Jukebox Jury, who, like Masked Marvel, is by Montjeu.

Duncan, a six-year-old gelding by Dalakhani, who also won last year’s Group 2 Prix Foy, was retired immediately after his first Group 1 success by his owner/breeder Philippa Cooper of Normandie Stud.

It was also a weekend of double Group success for Dalakhani, whose son Reliable Man put himself firmly in the picture for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with victory in the Prix Niel.

Should Reliable Man follow-up in the ‘Arc’ on October 2, he will emulate his sire, who, like him, won the Prix du Jockey-Club and Niel en route to victory in France’s most prestigious race.