Betfair backer delighted by Soldier presence

He probably thought he had lost his money when he placed the £5 bet at 999/1 on Betfair. After all, it was no secret that the Ladbrokes St Leger was not the preferred next port of call for Soldier of Fortune. Perhaps correctly reasoning that Soldier Of Fortune was clearly the best horse of the declared entries - Timeform would have him 8lb clear if taking his chance - and would be clear favourite if running, he thought he'd risk £5 on the runaway Irish Derby winner adding to his Classic haul at Doncaster at the exchange's maximum price. But hope still springs eternal after Soldier Of Fortune was surprisingly left in the race at the five day stage on Monday, and it would be very interesting indeed should the rains predicted for the track on Friday arrive a couple of days earlier this week. Because, faced with ease in the ground for a very winnable Classic, connections may well just make this Soldier Of Fortune's stepping stone to a tilt at the Arc, instead of a Longchamp trial at the weekend. Of course, he remains the unlikeliest of Leger runners - he is currently on offer at 59/1 on Betfair - and in his absence Timeform have stablemate Honolulu top-rated, and he is 9/4 favourite on Betfair. But they don't completely write off the chances of Regal Flush, supplemented for the race on Monday after convincingly winning a 1m 6f handicap off 101 at Haydock on Saturday. As we have seen with the likes of Medicean, Peeress, Chic and Echelon, it does not pay to readily dismiss improvers in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud and in the care of Sir Michael Stoute. Kieran Packman, Timeform's Communications Manager, commented: "Soldier Of Fortune would have excellent claims were he to stand his ground, although there would have to be a slight doubt about his effectiveness on the current prevailing going, given his rout in the Irish Derby was on soft. "Aidan O'Brien certainly holds all the aces though, as Honolulu would appear to be a more than capable deputy, his effort in finishing second in the Ebor from a mark of 111 sending him to the top of the ratings excluding his stable-companion. He looks open to further improvement too, still having some greenness about him at York." Ladbrokes St Leger: 9/4 Honolulu, 5/1 Lucarno, 11/2 Macarthur, 7/1 Mahler, 10/1 Veracity, 11/1 Regal Flush, 12/1 Raincoat, 17/1 Acapulco, 25/1 Samuel, 59/1 Soldier Of Fortune, 84/1 Celestial Halo, 219/1 Song Of Hiawatha (all Betfair - prices correct 11/09/07 at 10am)