Jury and Duncan share Leger honours
Jukebox Jury and Duncan provided a fantastic finish to the Irish Field St Leger, crossing the line together to dead-heat in the Classic.
Duncan (5-1) was providing John Gosden with a famous big-race double as his Masked Marvel had earlier won the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.
The Mark Johnston-trained Jukebox Jury (4-1) set a strong gallop up front throughout, despite racing into a fierce headwind.
Johnny Murtagh began to wind up the pace three furlongs out and it was all too much for the odds-on favourite Fame And Glory who was very disappointing and quickly dropped away.
Duncan looked all set to claim the honours as he cruised up under Eddie Ahern but in typical fashion for a Johnston-trained horse, Jukebox Jury just would not be denied and the pair raced stride for stride before passing the post together.
Murtagh said of Jukebox Jury: ``I thought he was beaten in the last 100 yards as Eddie was coming there strongly, but in all fairness to my lad, typical Mark Johnston, he fought back.
“It was right on the line and just on the line I felt I had my head down.
“Eddie asked what I thought and I told him I thought he’d got there, but my head was down so I wasn’t sure. I was glad when I heard the dead-heat.
“He was very brave because it was into a strong headwind and Eddie came to me earlier than I would have liked so I was racing from a long way out.
“It was a fair result for everybody.
“It’s my first Irish Leger winner so I’m absolutely over the moon.”
