The field for the 250th running of the Betfred St Leger is beginning to take shape, with 12 horses still in contention for Saturday’s Classic at Doncaster.
At the head of them is Derby winner Christmas Day, who is currently the 7/4 favorite with Betfred and is bidding to become the first horse since Reference Point in 1987 to win both the Derby and St Leger in the same season.
It is worth stressing that these are still the horses left in at the confirmation stage. Final declarations are not made until Thursday, September 10, so the field could yet become smaller before race day.
For now, though, the St Leger 2026 has a fascinating look to it, with Aidan and Joseph O’Brien responsible for seven of the 12 remaining horses between them.
Christmas Day Has History in His Sights
Christmas Day is the obvious place to start.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt won the Derby at Epsom in June and has spent much of the season as one of the leading three-year-olds in Europe.
He returned from a break in the Great Voltigeur at York last month, finishing third behind Maltese Cross and Pierre Bonnard. That may not have been the result his supporters wanted, but it looked very much like a preparation run for Doncaster rather than the main target.
The St Leger is run over around one mile, six and a half furlongs, so stamina will be tested in a way it was not at Epsom or York. Christmas Day has shown enough class to justify his place at the head of the market, but the extra distance is the big question he still has to answer.
History is against him too.
No Derby winner has completed the Derby-St Leger double since Reference Point in 1987, meaning Christmas Day is trying to end a 39-year wait.
Enceladus Is the Big Danger
The horse closest to Christmas Day in the Betfred betting is Enceladus at 2/1.
Joseph O’Brien’s colt has made rapid progress this season, winning all three of his starts in 2026.
He began with a maiden win at Cork, followed that by victory in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot and then stepped up again to win the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.
That profile makes him very interesting.
He has only raced five times in total, which means there could still be plenty of improvement to come, and his breeding gives some confidence that the St Leger trip should suit. Billy Loughnane is booked to ride.
The question is whether he can make the jump from Group 3 company straight into a Classic.
At 2/1, the market clearly believes he can.
Pierre Bonnard Has Already Beaten Christmas Day
Pierre Bonnard is 3/1 with Betfred, making this very much a three-horse race in the early betting.
He finished second to Maltese Cross in the Great Voltigeur at York, with Christmas Day behind him in third.
That immediately gives him a strong claim.
Pierre Bonnard also has Group 1-winning form from his two-year-old season, having won the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. He has, however, finished behind Christmas Day on several occasions this year, including in the Derby and Irish Derby.
The extra distance at Doncaster could change that balance.
His staying-on third in the Irish Derby suggested he may be well suited by a longer trip, and he certainly looked comfortable enough at York.
Highwayman and Hatteen Lead the Next Group
There is then a sizeable jump in the market.
Joseph O’Brien’s Highwayman is 12/1 with Betfred, while Hatteen is 14/1.
Highwayman has improved considerably since being stepped up in distance. He won over nearly a mile and four furlongs at Killarney before taking the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes over a mile and six furlongs.
That last result is particularly important because it means stamina is far less of a question for him than it is for some of the shorter-priced runners.
Hatteen represents Andrew Balding and has already won at Doncaster, taking a St Leger trial novice over the course earlier in the season.
He was then narrowly beaten in a handicap at Goodwood.
This is a huge rise in class, but he has course experience and remains one of the shorter-priced British-trained hopes.
Amelia Earhart Adds a Filly Angle
Aidan O’Brien could have as many as five runners.
Alongside Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard, he still has Amelia Earhart at 25/1, Piazza San Marco at 33/1 and Action at 100/1.
Amelia Earhart is the only filly among the remaining 12 and would add another interesting story to the race if she is declared on Thursday.
Her season has not gone entirely to plan, but connections clearly feel she is worth keeping in the St Leger conversation.
The remaining outsiders are Alderman at 33/1, Galiyan at 33/1, Golden Story at 50/1 and Rebel Rocker at 66/1, according to the latest Betfred prices supplied today.
The O’Brien Family Dominates the Picture
Perhaps the most striking feature of the current field is just how much influence the O’Brien family has.
Aidan O’Brien has five of the 12 remaining horses, while Joseph O’Brien has Enceladus and Highwayman.
That gives them seven possible runners between them.
Aidan is also chasing a fourth straight St Leger victory and a tenth win in the race overall.
If all seven O’Brien-trained horses make the final field, much of the race could end up being shaped by the different strengths within those two stables.
Thursday Will Tell Us Much More
For now, Christmas Day deserves his place at the head of the betting.
He has already won the Derby, he has proven Group 1 class and his York run looked like a solid preparation for Doncaster.
But Enceladus is improving quickly, Pierre Bonnard has already finished ahead of the favorite once this season and Highwayman brings proven stamina into the race.
The important next stage comes on Thursday, when the final declarations are made.
Only then will we know exactly how many of these 12 are lining up for the 250th St Leger.
If Christmas Day does make it to Saturday and wins, though, the story will be bigger than simply another Classic victory.
He will have achieved something no Derby winner has managed for nearly four decades.
Latest Betfred St Leger Odds
- Christmas Day 7/4
- Enceladus 2/1
- Pierre Bonnard 3/1
- Highwayman 12/1
- Hatteen 14/1
- Amelia Earhart 25/1
- Alderman 33/1
- Galiyan 33/1
- Piazza San Marco 33/1
- Golden Story 50/1
- Rebel Rocker 66/1
- Action 100/1
Odds from Betfred on September 8 and subject to change.
BETFRED
