ATB’s Jakkalberry wins the 2012 American St Leger at Arlington Park

Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock’s international purchase Jakkalberry has taken out the 2012 American St Leger at Arlington Park in Chicago on Sunday morning Australian time.

Ridden a treat by UK jockey Colm O’Donoghue, the son of Storming Home enjoyed a lovely run during the race and looked the winner a long way from home.

O’Donoghue had Jakkalberry perfectly placed in 5th spot in the run, just behind the pace, and approaching the turn he drove the ATB galloper forward to make his assault on the leading bunch.

In the straight Jakkalberry ran home strongly to get the better of race leader Ioya Bigtime in the final 100 metres, to go on record a most memorable win for his owners, headed by ATB’s Darren & Liz Dance.

A syndicate headed by Darren Dance of Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock purchased Jakkalberry to contest the Caulfield & Melbourne Cups this year and the galloper will head home now to go into quarantine before heading to Australia for the spring.

2012 American St Leger result

#	Odds	Horse	Weight	Trainer	Jockey	Margin
1	8/5F	Jakkalberry (IRE)	54.0	M Botti	C O’Donoghue
2	14/5	Ioya Bigtime (USA)	56.0	C Block	J Sanchez	2.3
3	11/2	Zuider Zee (GER)	54.0	J Gosden	W Buick	8.5
then followed
4	39/10	Lake Drop (USA)	55.0	H Motion	R Dominguez	9.5
5	38/1	Lemonade Kid (USA)	54.0	A Mitchell	F Torres	10.0
6	269/10	Helicopter (USA)	54.0	L Rivelli	B Meier	13.8
7	138/10	Lumberyard Jack (USA)	54.0	D O’Neill	M Gutierrez	21.0
8	56/1	Lethal (USA)	54.0	J Haran	J Felix	24.8
9	141/10	Bridge Of Gold (USA)	54.0	M Magnusson	K Fallon	31.8

Margins: 2 1/4, 6 1/4
Time: 2:49.01

The ATB Jack Attack of Arlington Park is not over yet, as Jakkalberry’s half-brother Crackerjack King goes around in Race 11 at Arlington at 8.44am Melbourne time in the Group 1 Arlington Millions.

If the Shamardal galloper can make it two for two at Arlington, ATB’s Darren Dance will be celebrating long & hard into the night in Chicago.