Ghost Run knuckles down for Doncaster triumph

Ghost Run got Oisin Murphy off to a flying start at this year’s St Leger Festival at Doncaster with a determined victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Nursery.

The three-time champion jockey is out on his own in this year’s title race with a lead of more than 40 winners over Tom Marquand, and has a strong book of rides for the first two days of action on Town Moor before he jets out to Canada to ride at Woodbine on Saturday.

Ghost Run was a 5-1 shot for Doncaster’s curtain-raiser, dropping back into a handicap after finishing eighth in a valuable sales race at York three weeks ago.

A daughter of trainer Andrew Balding’s 2000 Guineas hero Kameko, Murphy’s mount battled her way to the front before knuckling down to see off Oolong Poobong and Griselda by a neck and a head respectively.

“She’s very tough and a great example of her sire Kameko with her attitude to life,” said Murphy.

The winning trainer’s wife Anna-Lisa Balding added: “Andrew was quite confident this morning and she’s a lovely filly. Andrew had a lot of luck with her half-sister Nymphadora as well and being by Kameko, it’s great for us – it’s a real Kingsclere story.

“She’s not very big, but she’s got a huge heart and really wanted it.”