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THE St Leger Stakes was first run in 1776 which makes it by far and away the oldest classic horse race in the world and is the last of five classics run every year in Britain.

There have been some notable winners in the past, the best of which have probably been the fabulous Nijinsky (1970), Bustino (74), Oh So Sharp (85) and last year the Aidan O’Brien trained Jan Brueghel, one of eight winners of the longest classic for the Ballydoyle maestro. I doubt any of the seven runners entered for this afternoon’s renewal will be mentioned in the same all time list of the above winners, but what is not in doubt is that O’Brien once again has this famous race by the scruff of the neck with three of the entries including the top two in the market, confirmed stayer Scandinavia and LAMBOURN (3.40).

The first named is an assured stayer having won the Goodwood Cup over two miles at the Glorious Summer meeting, but I just wonder if his stable mate may well have too much class for him despite the fact that he won a very average renewal of the derby at Epsom in June.

He won that race by grinding out a result from the front under a fabulous ride from Wayne Lordan and then Ryan Moore took over to steadily overhaul the same rivals in the Irish version at the Curragh three weeks later. Off the track for another 21 days, he ran a flat race in the Great Voltigeur at York when to be fair, the field went along at a crawl. That is unlikely to be happen here with several of these set to race prominently and the long home stretch should pay to his strengths as he lengthens rather than quickens up in his races.

The biggest danger to the son of Australia may well be the complete outsider in the market place, Tarriance. Andrew Balding’s charge has plenty to find on the ratings, but is improving fast and showed that stamina was his strong suit by grabbing the Melrose Stakes late on off a rating of 93. That run still leaves him a stone behind the best of these, but there is surely a lot more to come from the son of the great Frankel.

The Portland Heritage Handicap at 2.25 is one of the most unusual sprint handicaps of the year in that it is run over the intermediate trip of five and a half furlongs and such a journey may well suit ROSARIO. The minimum trip always seems to be too sharp for the four-year-old, but six furlongs also seems a shade too far for him. 

Well-backed to land a fair five furlong event at Goodwood last time out, the selection missed the start only to rally from a furlong and a half out to finish a never nearer length and a half third behind Queen All Star. He is now some 3lbs lower than for his last win and a high draw in box number 16 could prove advantageous with plenty of pace on his side of the track. Of his 21 rivals I also have plenty of respect for Air Force One and near the top of the weights, the consistent Jakajaro.

The opening one-mile handicap looks a tough cookie to dissect, but I am going to give one final chance to GALERON (1.15) who returns to the scene of his best run in Britain when he was a close up fifth in the Lincoln in March.

Since then his handicap mark has dropped from 102 to 94 and he showed last time out at Sandown Park that his turn was close at hand when a close up fifth to God Of War in a class three event.

The Champagne Stakes has always been a nice Group Two stepping stone to landing a possible Group One prize at the back end of the juvenile season with the ill-fated Gorytus (1982) and Rodrigo De Triano nine years later — the two most notable winners of years gone by. Since then subsequent winners have not set the three-year-old scene alight so I am hoping that GEWAN (1.50) may change that trend here. Trainer Andrew Balding won this race with Chaldean three years ago and this fellow is potentially even better.

Winner of his novice in July at Newbury, he then took a significant step forward to see off Italy and company in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at the York Ebor meeting and that despite being keen enough through the first half mile.

The Group Two Park Stakes at 3.00 looks highly competitive and having a relatively fresh runner is a huge advantage and I am banking on KING’S GAMBLE bouncing back to form on only his third start of the season. For some reason he ran flat in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, but the ground may well have been a tad quick for him there and to get his toe into the ground could be the key to him allied to Ralph Beckett putting blinkers on him for the first time in his career. Should the selection run below form then I suspect that Marvelman may well outrun his price.

SOVEREIGN SEA (4.50) may bounce back to form in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap, while DEL MARO (4.15) can make up for a slightly disappointing debut at Newmarket last month.

There is a cracking card at Leopardstown with the feature event being the Irish Champion Stakes. Eclipse winner Delacroix is likely to start favourite and will have no Ombudsman to worry about this time, but he has endured a long and hard season and I would much rather have an each-way play on ZAHRANN (5.30). As he was entitled to do, he readily landed the Group Three Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh track and will need another step forward here. However, this is only his sixth career start and his turn of foot looks sure to be a potent weapon this afternoon.

Before the Ebor Handicap at York, Aidan O’Brien described LONDON CITY (6.05) as being a well handicapped horse, but he drifted alarmingly in the betting than day and duly finished 18th of the 22 runners following a slow start.

The fast ground may well have had something to do with that performance, so this slower ground and off the same mark of 104 I am prepared to give him another chance here. Were he to flop again, then the Emmett Mullins-trained Lord Church could take advantage.

Elsewhere, I am also looking to have an interest in SIR DINADAN (Chester, 2.05), while later on at the Cheshire track, PRYDWEN (2.40) catches the eye. The last named only needs a reproduction of his win at Southwell in April to go close here.

Finally, BE FRANK (4.35) has an outstanding chance in the seven-and-a-half furlong handicap. He was unlucky in a similar race here in July and just found a mile beyond him last time out at Haydock Park.