30 August 2023 , 08:00
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Fast-improving Middle Earth has earned a shot at the Betfred St Leger after connections confirmed he will be supplemented for the Doncaster Classic.
The Qatar Racing-owned colt made it two wins from four starts when he landed the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap at York on Saturday under Oisin Murphy. Having only made his debut in June he was not entered in the September 16 St Leger but can be added for a cost £50,000.
“He will definitely be supplemented, assuming when the moment comes everything is still hale and hearty,” said the owners’ racing manager David Redvers.
“We couldn’t really be anymore impressed with the progress he has made. Oisin absolutely loved him and is obviously very keen that we supplement him.
“It’s a shame we have to waste the money but at the time the entry had to be made he was still very backward looking but he has shot forward at a rate of knots.”
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The Melrose, run over the St Leger 1m6f distance, has been won in the past by the likes of Coltrane and Hamish while last year’s winner Soulcombe has won a Group 3 race in Australia and is on the Melbourne Cup trail.
“The Melrose is a proper race now with very good prize-money and he has done it going away. We are very excited about him.”
Saturday was tinged with tragedy for the team with the ex-Andrew Balding-trained Nobel, a previous fourth in the John Smith’s Cup, suffering a fatal injury on his US debut at Saratoga.
“Sheikh Fahad was deeply disappointed, as we all were as a team, because it was after he had pulled up and was turning round to canter back that he seemingly put his foot in a hole,” Redvers said.
“The turf there has not coped at all with the wet and maybe the management of the wet track have left something to be desired. But I’m not on the ground out there and I can’t give anymore detail than that.”