Los Angeles into 3-1 for St Leger after gritty Great Voltigeur win - but Aidan O'Brien unsure over Doncaster Classic bid

Aidan O'Brien already has a stranglehold on next month's St Leger, but there is no guarantee Los Angeles will be in his team for the Doncaster Classic despite his gritty Great Voltigeur Stakes victory.

The Irish Derby hero was supplemented for the recognised St Leger trial for £20,000 last week and neither the weight of that costly risk nor his 5lb penalty could hold him back. 

After looking in trouble early in the home straight, his class shone through as he dug deep to deny stablemate Illinois by a neck under Ryan Moore. 

His narrow success saw him originally cut to 5-2 favourite (from 4-1) with Paddy Power for the St Leger. However, he soon drifted to 3-1 co-favourite alongside Illinois and Jan Brueghel with that firm, given another Yorkshire mission is not certain with the embarrassment of riches O'Brien has in Britain's final Classic of the year.

"He was very tough. He's a lazy horse who gets a mile and a half well. They didn't go overly fast, so it wasn't a grueller," O'Brien said. "The lads will make the decision, but the second horse does stay very well – a mile and six is what he wants to be seen at his best – whereas Ryan's horse can do either. 

"He can go up in trip as he's got plenty of class, as he did that with a penalty, or he could go back in trip to the Irish Champion Stakes, finish in the first four and then go on to an Arc.

"Illinois stays very well and looked like he was going to lose second, but fought back and that usually suggests that he wants that staying trip, as he showed at Ascot too."

Los Angeles (Ryan Moore) wins the Great Voltigeur from IllinoisCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nine of the 15 remaining in the St Leger are from Ballydoyle, including Illinois, Gordon Stakes winner Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square, who, alongside Los Angeles, occupy four of the top five places in the betting for the Classic.

Los Angeles was also cut to 16-1 (from 25) for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power, but O'Brien already has an eye on next year with the son of Camelot.

"He's a massive, handsome, powerful horse and we felt the weight wasn't going to bother him," he added. "He's a straightforward horse who has plenty of options. An end-to-end gallop would suit him even better. 

"He handles cut very well and is very versatile. He has to be a better four-year-old as he's massive. When they're that big at three they have to go on to progress."

King's Gambit stayed on well to be beaten half a length in third. His trainer Harry Charlton said: "I thought he ran a lovely race. William [Buick, jockey] just thought he stays a mile and a half but that was more like a mile and six the way they rode it.

"He was just slightly running on empty at the line. He's a ten- or 12-furlong horse but 12 in less extreme circumstances."

Betfred St Leger (3.40 Doncaster, September 14)
Paddy Power: 3 Jan Brueghel, Illinois, Los Angeles, 7 Ancient Wisdom, Grosvenor Square, Sunway, 10 Deira Mile, 20 Align The Stars, 33 bar

Read this next:

City Of Troy 'is the best horse I've trained' says Aidan O'Brien after star colt makes all in Juddmonte International 

'He's got the pace for a Guineas' - The Lion In Winter clear favourite for next year's Classics after awesome Acomb win 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.