It’s the final Classic of the flat season this afternoon and the Ladbrokes St Leger (Doncaster 3.50) may go to the Sir Michael Stoute trained Snow Sky.

This colt has made gradual progress through his second season in training from winning the Lingfield Park Derby Trial to finishing a superb second behind Postponed in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last time out.

The only blip on his season came in the King Edward VII Stakes when he was a disappointing fourth of nine, beaten nine lengths, by Eagle Top.

His last run at the Knavesmire though is the outing which really points to his claims here. 

In a race run at a true pace, despite travelling smoothly for most of the journey, he wasn’t able to deal with the turn of foot from the winner but stayed on very strongly through the final three furlongs to put eight lengths between himself and his fellow Leger aspirants, Odeon, Marzocco, Granddukeoftuscany and Hartnell.

What seems essential for the son of Nayef is a fast pace so he can settle in his races and a sound surface which he floats over with his smooth action.

It seems likely he will get both factors in his favour today and with the ground drying out all the time there even seems a good chance that the ante-post favourite Kingston Hill won’t even turn up.

If that is the case then the biggest danger to the selection may well come from Hartnell who raced way too close to the pace at York and as we know from his other runs this season is much better than that run suggests. 

Of the other runners, I have the utmost respect for Windshear trained by Richard Hannon. 

This colt stays well but does have a quirky nature too in that he tends to get outpaced at a crucial point in a race before running on strongly inside the distance, hence his run of second placings this year.

Also worth noting on the Doncaster card is Aljamaheer in the Park Stakes at 3.15. Roger Varian has tried to turn this classy individual into a sprinter this term and he ran an outstanding race to finish third in the six furlong Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot. 

This step up to seven furlongs will suit and the more the ground dries out the better for this colt.

The Portland Handicap at 2.40 could well see last year’s Wokingham winner, York Glory bounce back to form now that the handicapper has dropped him to a mark of 100, I make Intrinsic and Goldream the main dangers. 

Over at Chester Pinzolo should prove hard to beat in the 2.55, while Head Space has Brother Tiger to worry about most in the sprint at 4.45.

Finally in the evening at Wolverhampton, Tarquin has outstanding claims in the 7.10 at a price if he bounces back to his old form, while Seal Rock can bounce back from a poor run last time out to land the finale at 9.10.