The Classic season in Britain draws to a close on Saturday afternoon as Doncaster hosts the St Leger, the oldest and longest of Britain's five crown jewels of Flat racing.
Star jockey Frankie Dettori, the veteran rider set to hang up his boots come year end, will bid for a seventh career St Leger win on Arrest, while trainer Aidan O'Brien is also aiming for a seventh success in the Doncaster contest – a week on from landing the 4,000th winner of his career.
Enda McElhinney assesses the final British Classic of the year alongside some of the other key Doncaster races on Saturday.
3.35 St Leger (Group 1, 1m6½f)
Frankie Dettori has been writing his own script all summer long in his 'farewell tour' – the Italian seemingly picking off a fine array of the biggest prizes on offer across the last few months.
The run began with Chaldea in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and he will carry the same silks of owners Juddmonte here having selected Arrest over another John & Thady Gosden inmate in Gregory.
The latter was beaten in the Great Voltigeur last month at York, the first loss of his career, and has something to prove up in trip in the toughest race he will have faced, now under Kieran Shoemark.
Dettori plumped instead for the Chester Vase winner Arrest. Things went awry for him on fast ground in the Epsom Derby and at Royal Ascot but he was back on track last month in Newbury's Geoffrey Freer Stakes. He looks likely to stay this trip and is a player on soft ground.
Both those Gosden inmates have been known to make the running and that might tee this up for a closer, with Chesspiece another noted for going forward.
However, James Doyle may elect to hold him up, with Simon & Ed Crisford's son of Nathaniel potentially having more to come upped in distance under more patient tactics. He is an each-way contender of genuine interest having rallied in the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood when second last time.
Desert Hero got the better of him there and is aiming to become the first Royal winner of this since Dunfermline in 1977. William Haggas' charge is progressive and rates a key player. Middle Earth won the Melrose Handicap at York and could have more to come under Oisin Murphy. He's the third Gosden contender – though Aidan O'Brien can trump that with four.
The Ballydoyle handler saddles Alexandroupolis, Denmark and Tower Of London but CONTINUOUS is the mount of Ryan Moore and the likeliest winner.
He has always been well thought of by the trainer and while beaten on his first three runs this season, he came good at York in the Great Voltigeur having been ridden very patiently out the back by Moore.
They accounted for Gregory in ready fashion and it's likely that Moore will be eager to play his cards late again on Town Moor. Stamina should be a strong suit for his mount and he could be doing best of all when things get tough inside that notorious final quarter-of-a-mile in the St Leger.
1.50 Champagne Stakes (Group 2, 7f)
It's hard to look past ROSALLION in the opening Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. Richard Hannon has enjoyed a fine season with his juvenile crop and this son of Blue Point might well be the pick of the team.
He made a winning start at Newbury in June and, on his only start since, powered home for a four-length success in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July over this trip. Next-time-out Listed winner Al Musmak was behind in second that afternoon and, with more improvement to come, this smart colt in the making will take some stopping.
Iberian is another Newbury maiden winner and has since finished second behind Haatem in the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood for Charlie Hills, he may find himself in joust for the silver medal with Aidan O'Brien's Mountain Bear – a neck having split them at Goodwood.
2.25 - Portland (Heritage Handicap, 5½f)
The Portland carries a top prize in excess of £51k and is the first in a number of major sprints looming in the next few weeks. Call Me Ginger won this last year and arrives back in fine fettle after victories at Chester and Ascot already this month. He's only 2lb higher than 12 months ago.
Stewards' Cup hero Aberama Gold commands respect and is always one likely to thrive when conditions get soft. Recent Goodwood winner Live In The Moment is another for the shortlist, alongside Significantly and Intrinsic Bond.
KIMNGRACE creeps into this off 8st 7lb and might be worth siding with. The Profitable filly had the speed to win a 5f Listed race at Lingfield in the spring and, most recently, caught the eye at York in a similar contest to this when doing some good late work. She has won on soft ground before and looks likely to be very well suited by the extra half-furlong here based on that most recent run.
3.00 - Park Stakes (Group 2, 7f)
Spycatcher has enjoyed a good season, winning twice including a Group 3 in France in July. Since that, he was carried out on his sword in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville and, now eased in grade, he's got to be a major contender for trainer Karl Burke and Clifford Lee.
Audience (second) finished just ahead of SANDRINE (third) in the City Of York Stakes last month over this 7f trip and they are both major players again here.
The Andrew Balding filly Sandrine has winning soft-ground form in her back catalogue and produced a fine effort on the Knavesmire last time in a first-time visor (retained now). Though winless this term so far, it's likely she will pick up some kind of prize before the season is out and she showed at York last time that it could well come in this grade.
