Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford offered Cap O’Rushes as the best-value option of the trio bidding to land his team a sixth English St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The Gordon Stakes winner is more than twice the odds of Godolphin’s shortest-priced challenger, Libertarian, and also bigger than Secret Number.
Sheikh Mohammed, who has had no shortage of success in the season’s final Classic in his own maroon and white silks, saw Rule Of Law and Mastery enter the roll of honour this century before Encke caused an upset against Camelot 12 months ago.
Crisford poured some cold water on both Libertarian and Secret Number, who finished fifth in the Gordon before running a respectable third behind Telescope in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
Libertarian, who won the Dante Stakes and was second in the English Derby, now races for Charlie Appleby having left Karl Burke, but has not been sighted since trailing home second-last in the Irish Derby.
“Excess Knowledge is a short price and Cap O’Rushes is an unconsidered outsider. We beat him at Goodwood, although people will say Excess Knowledge was an unlucky loser,” Crisford said.
“I’d say of our three, he’s the most interesting contender by some way – at the prices.”
