CENSUS 'PROPER LEGER KIT' - HERBERT

Harry Herbert is keeping everything crossed that Census remains in one piece ahead of his bid for Classic glory in the Ladbrokes St Leger next month.

Following a couple of creditable performances in defeat, the three-year-old looked the part when defeating Brown Panther in Saturday's Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, elevating him to prominence in the ante-post lists for Doncaster on September 10.

Herbert, racing manager for owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, believes the youngster is improving with every run - and already has one eye on next season.

"He's come out of the race fine, I believe, and he'll now have a nice, easy week. Then it will be back to preparation for the big day," said Herbert.

"It was great to see him win so well. He's been improving all the time and the way that he won the race, I thought was very impressive.

"He travelled very well and was still a little bit babyish when asked to go and win his race. But then he knuckled down and you could see the further he went the better he's going to be.

"He's a horse we've been very careful with this year and looking ahead to next season, it would be nice to think we have a really exciting Cup horse in the making.

"We thought we might have a Leger horse and after Saturday we look to be going there with a proper piece of kit.

"He goes on any ground and seems a pretty versatile horse. We're just hoping now that he stays in one piece and any niggles can stay out of the system over the next few weeks."

It turned out to be an excellent weekend for Highclere, with the Richard Fahey-trained Rose Blossom taking Listed honours at Pontefract on Sunday.

"We know how good this filly is and I think it was a great move by Richard and Paul Hanagan to run her and decide to ride her in the way they did - she really did just burnt off the opposition," Herbert added.

"She proved that she stays six furlongs well. She idles in front but Paul wasn't going to have any of that and kept her up to her task to beat some very decent fillies.

"We've got no immediate plans for her but we'll probably give her another run or two while the ground stays good or faster. We'll then prepare her for the December sales."

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