Drone Strike has St Leger coordinates

DRONE STRIKE, who flew in under the radar to bomb rivals in the Jamaica Derby a month ago, is hard to oppose in this afternoon's 10-furlong St Leger, having exposed his two-turn form in the biggest classic of them all.

Two horses went into the June 30 derby with real staying credentials, last year's Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes winner, MARQUESAS, and this season's Oaks champion, FAYROUZ, only to be both humbled by DRONE STRIKE, who had never before ventured beyond a mile.

There will, of course, be talk about 'a fluke run' from Patrick Lynch's gelding. However, those who do are conveniently forgetting that the reclusive trainer had used THE BOMBER to win the 2007 Derby within a month of debuting.

Lynch, one of the most patient and secretive trainers at Caymanas Park, knew exactly what he was doing all along with DRONE STRIKE, who sprang a surprise 13-1 victory on his Boxing Day debut, beating EL PROFESORA and FASHIONISTA, horses who returned to score by wide margins in subsequent races.

Rather strange equipment changes in subsequent events resulted in DRONE STRIKE not winning another race until derby day when he turned up as barefaced as he had on debut - no blinkers, tongue tie or figure eight - and the rest is history, a 24-1 upset victory, almost doubling his odds when winning on his first outing.

DRONE STRIKE now faces almost the same cast he beat a month ago in the Jamaica Derby at 12 furlongs.

The St Leger is, of course, a different race on paper, but has nothing new to offer by way of competition - 11 runners from the Derby and four who might not have even qualified for the race itself on earnings.

The idea of tactics being revisited by some connections, is hard to take serious, considering the manner in which DRONE STRIKE won the derby from two and a half furlongs out.

SURPRISE PACKAGE

The derby was run exactly as expected with the surprise package, as track announcer Brian Rickman bellowed at the top of the lane, being DRONE STRIKE.

DRONE STRIKE's surprise was that he hadn't run in the 10-furlong Governor's Cup and the derby was only his second race in excess of seven furlongs. The farthest he had gone before was a mile in the 2000 Guineas, a race with extremely fast splits, which, as proven in his previous events, would have been unsettling for his running style.

Nevertheless, DRONE STRIKE finished a respectable eighth in the Guineas behind COMMANDER TWO, beaten by only six lengths, two and a quarter behind MARQUESAS, who returned as the derby favourite. Therefore, with no Governor's Cup form to go on, DRONE STRIKE was overlooked in the betting but proved he was the best stayer in the event from as early as the half-mile when, in one swoop, he went by three horses - COMMANDER TWO, DRUMMER BOY and FAYROUZ - to go in chase of MARQUESAS, who he collared on the turn and ran away from up the lane.

Reviewing the derby tape, DRONE STRIKE was literally jumping out of jockey Aaron Chatrie's hands going past the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch but was kept in check by horses ahead of him and to his outside.

Unleashed at the half-mile, it was clear that he had the race won because Shane Ellis, having thought he had slipped the field from the five with MARQUESAS, could hardly believe that a horse was snapping at his heels leaving the three-pole.

The derby points of call represent the tale of the tape for the St Leger. MARQUESAS was more than four to five lengths clear of DRONE STRIKE at the half mile but two behind at the two-pole, cut down by a fresher and better stayer, whose sire, SORRENTINO, produced the likes of BIGDADDYKOOL, one of the country's best distance horses.