Desert Hero eyes first Royal Classic win since 1977

Desert Hero delivered King Charles his first winner at Royal Ascot with victory in the King George V Stakes

Desert Hero, owned by the King and Queen, will bid to provide the first Royal win in a Classic for nearly 50 years when he runs in the St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.

Frankie Dettori has chosen to ride Arrest, trained by John and Thady Gosden, rather than stablemate Gregory.

It will be his final British Classic before retiring later this year.

Desert Hero, who gave King Charles his first Royal Ascot winner in June, will bid for victory a year after Queen Elizabeth II died.

She enjoyed the last Royal winner in a Classic when Dunfermline won the Leger in her Silver Jubilee year of 1977.

Dettori, 52, has opted for Arrest after rain softened the ground at Doncaster.

Kieran Shoemark will ride Gregory, with Oisin Murphy aboard Middle Earth for the Gosdens.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has four runners - Continuous, Tower Of London, Alexandrouplis and Denmark - as he seeks a seventh Leger win while Chesspiece completes the field.

The Leger is the final Classic of the British Flat racing season after the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas, the Derby and the Oaks.