THE route to St Leger glory could well lay in the direction of Westmoreland Road (3.35) for this afternoon's final Classic race of the season at Doncaster.

Westmoreland Road's rider, the eleven-times former champion jockey Pat Eddery, has vowed to hang up his boots by November at the latest, however, should Eddery prevail, the phenomenally talented Irishman might call it a day there and then.

And what a fitting end to a fabulous career it would be if Westmoreland Road provided Eddery with his last hurrah in the £400,000 Group 1 Town Moor showpiece.

"Westmoreland Road won't be short on staying power, he wasn't stopping when he won over a mile-and-a-half at Newmarket," reported Pat.

Although Classic success has so far eluded trainer Amanda Perrett, there can be no doubting the credentials of Westmoreland Road, who returned from a long mid-season absence to edge out Sir Michael Stoute's classy stayer Foreign Affairs at Newmarket on August 16.

It was an excellent preparation for today's near mile-and-and-seven furlong Group 1 contest, which is always a bruising and brutal battle once the jockeys ask for maximum output from their partners as heads turn for home up Doncaster's long and daunting straight.

One of the more intriguing aspects of Westmoreland Road's challenge revolves around the colt's pedigree. The three-year-old's sire, Deisis, is well-known for his prowess at this level, but not so his dam, Tia Gigi, who was a champion mare in her native Peru. Such inter-continental cross-fertilisation is always welcome, maybe the course exexecutive will even organise a set of South American pan-pipes to welcome Westmoreland Road back to the winners' enclosure!

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