Horse Racing: Hurricane Lane the St Leger antepost favourite

*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing/Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason, you will lose your stake under traditional antepost rules

We’re a little over a month away from the final English Classic of the year as the Flat season in the United Kingdom sprints towards the finish line.

Paddy’s top traders have drawn up an antepost market for the St Leger at Doncaster Racecourse on Saturday September 11 after 31 entries were declared – but which horse is the early favourite for glory in the world’s oldest Classic?

NEW TO PADDY POWER?

Click here for our £/€20 sign up offer

Hurricane Lane (10/11) is odds-on to add a fourth big win to his CV after successes in the Dante Stakes, Irish Derby and Grand Prix de Paris this year.

Frankel’s son is unlikely to face a challenge from stablemate Adayar (7/1), with trainer Charlie Appleby earmarking the Epsom Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes champ for a run in the Prix Niel on Sunday September 12 as a warm-up for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Appleby said: “This is only a plan in pencil so far, but as Adayar hasn’t yet done any travelling we are looking at sending him to Paris for the Prix Niel. That will give him experience of travelling but also experience of the Arc track.

“Hurricane Lane has already won at Longchamp, so the likelihood is that he will be trained for the St Leger.”

Alenquer (7/1) is prominent in our antepost market having got the better of Adayar in April’s Classic Trial at Sandown although William Haggas’ charge suffered a 7¼l defeat to Hurricane Lane at Longchamp last month.

Lone Eagle (8/1) was also recently beaten by Hurricane Lane – by a neck in the Irish Derby – before a 9½l defeat to Adayar in the King George VI at Ascot.

Mojo Star (12/1) remains a maiden but the son of Sea The Stars also has history with Appleby’s top colts having placed second in the Epsom Derby and fifth in the Irish Derby.

Ballydoyle master Aidan O’Brien boasts almost half of the entries including Gordon Stakes second Sir Lucan (8/1), Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Wordsworth (10/1) and Epsom Oaks third Divinely (33/1).

Joseph O’Brien will be hoping to make it back-to-back successes in the St Leger after saddling Galileo Chrome to victory in last year’s renewal. Okita Soushi (33/1) – a Fairyhouse maiden winner in June – is his sole entrant.

Meanwhile, Ottoman Emperor (8/1) has climbed the antepost market off the back of an impressive victory in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last week.

If all the right pieces fall into place and key contenders stand their ground, we’re all set for an absolute belter to round off the Classic campaign.