Logician caps season with English St. Leger victory

Logician ended a perfect 3-year-old season with a sharp win in Saturday’s Group 1 English St. Leger at Doncaster Racecourse.

Logician is not expected to race again this year, trainer John Gosden said in the winner’s circle.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Logician (5-6) closed from sixth in a field of eight to reach contention with three furlongs remaining. Dettori guided Logician to the outside rail on the right-handed track and took the lead with a quarter-mile remaining.

Logician pulled clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths over 7-1 Sir Ron Priestley, who finished a head in front of 40-1 Nayef Road.

Logician ran 1 13/16 miles on good-to-firm turf in course-record time of 3:35.31.

Owned by Juddmonte Farms, Logician, by Frankel, had his Group 1 debut in the $864,360 English St. Leger, the third and final classic of the year for 3-year-olds. The race was restricted to colts and fillies.

Logician began his career in May and won three races at Newbury and Newmarket before winning his group stakes debut in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes for 3-year-olds in August at York Racecourse.

Logician has been part of an outstanding year for Dettori and Gosden who have teamed to win three Group 1 races with the 4-year-old filly Enable, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs last November and future-book favorite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on Oct. 6.

They are responsible for the growing popularity of the top stayer Stradivarius, who has won 10 consecutive starts, including five Group 1 or Group 2 races this year.