Zechariah takes on his seniors in trial for St Leger in staying feature

Saturday: 2.30 Newbury
BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Group 3) | 1m5½f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

The Geoffrey Freer Stakes is essentially the first chance we have to examine how the season's top three-year-old stayers measure up against their older counterparts. The Goodwood Cup provided the first opportunity but none of the Classic generation lined up this year.

This can be considered a St Leger trial to a certain degree. Three of the last five winners were three-year-olds who subsequently ran in the Doncaster Classic, although none of Defoe, Hukum or Technician cut much ice on Town Moor.

Doncaster is surely the long-term aim for Zechariah, the sole three-year-old in the field, who provides us with a point of comparison against four older rivals.

Zechariah tackled the premier three-year-old staying events at Royal Ascot and Newmarket's July meeting this summer. He led for most of the straight when beaten just a nose in the Queen's Vase, before failing to justify favouritism when fourth in the Bahrain Trophy.

Excuses for the effort at Newmarket were thin on the ground, although it is too soon to give up on Zechariah and a 10lb weight-for-age allowance is a major help.

Pinpointing exactly where the pace will originate is tricky. Silence Please led for the first two furlongs of the Coral Marathon at Sandown last time before keen-going filly Alerta Roja and Not So Sleepy asserted control, while Outbox has made the running in the past.

David Probert, on Silence Please, and Hollie Doyle, on Outbox, will be alive to the prospect of pinching an easy lead, but their mounts have questions to answer in this company.

Providing hold-up performer Away He Goes remains in reasonable touch with the pace-setters, he looks the one to beat. Four starts ago Away He Goes finished a clear second to Trueshan in the 2021 Goodwood Cup and the six-year-old ran better than his finishing position suggests when fifth in this season's running.

It was a vintage race, with Kyprios, Stradivarius, Trueshan and the highly progressive Coltrane the only rivals Away He Goes failed to contain. He was travelling as well as any two and a half furlongs from home but ultimately ran out of puff.

His last victory came over a mile and a half so this versatile type should handle the slightly shorter distance and this represents a significant drop in class.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

'He couldn't be in better form'

Away He Goes bypasses another crack at next week’s Ebor Handicap at York in a bid to get his head in front for the first time in two years in the five-runner contest.

The six-year-old has gone through a few hoops to say the least in recent times, including being shipped to Australia for a crack at the Melbourne Cup last October only to pick up an injury days before the race.

Ismail Mohammed’s stalwart has been operating at the top table since his return this summer posting decent efforts in defeat in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and, latterly, the Goodwood Cup in which he finished fifth to Kyprios.

Rather than tackle another gruelling contest such as the Ebor, connections have opted for this better class race and will hope the smaller field can bring about a change of fortune.

Assistant trainer Jose Santos said: "Away He Goes needs to win so we’ve opted for this race rather than go back to York. He’s had two hard races since returning from injury but needs to get his head in front for his own confidence."

He added: "He was travelling well in the Goodwood Cup but just didn't finish so we’re back in trip. He couldn’t be in better form at home and is just getting better and better. Group races are never easy to win but we go there hopeful of a big run."

What they say

Hollie Doyle, rider of Outbox
He's had a nice break since America and has freshened up nicely. He's working well at home so hopefully he can run well.

David Simcock, trainer of Universal Order
He was a bit disappointing last time but ran well before that when second in a handicap at Haydock. He’s up in trip but shapes as if he’ll get it, although it looks a tough race with Zechariah in there.

Martyn Meade, joint-trainer of Zechariah
He must be a good thing on ratings and hopefully he wins this on the way to the St Leger. You can put a line through his run in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket last time as it came too soon after his second at Royal Ascot. We’ve freshened him up since then and we expect the track to suit him. Thankfully there’s little travelling involved in this hot weather as it’s just down the road for us.
Reporting by David Milnes

More Saturday previews:

1.55 Newbury: 'I'll be disappointed if he doesn't win' - which trainer is ultra-confident?

2.50 Ripon: Who has the luck of the draw this time in the Great St Wilfrid?

3.18 Newmarket: Who doesn't love a grey? Trainer quotes for the Grey Horse Handicap

3.35 Newbury: Richard Birch examines a Hungerford with more depth than the market suggests

4.05 Curragh: O'Brien warns Luxembourg will 'improve plenty' for comeback run after injury

4.40 Curragh: Irish St Leger and Melbourne Cup clues as Search For A Song and Raise You clash

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