AND still the St Leger clashes with the Irish Champion Stakes.

It has been ever thus, because it is the ideal weekend for both. Three weeks after York, three weeks before ParisLongchamp, it’s the perfect place for the Irish Champion Stakes.

And the St Leger is over 200 years old, it has all the history and all the tradition that goes with longevity, and history and tradition are the cornerstones that give horse racing its structure and its context. Also, go one week back, and you clash with Haydock’s Sprint Cup; go one week forward, and you run on Ayr Gold Cup day.

This year’s renewal of the Befred St Leger is another intriguing one, replete with all the unknowns that go with a marathon contest for the classic generation.

Stamina is key, it always is, they usually get racing early in Doncaster’s never-ending home straight, and that’s usually a major unknown. Historically, not many members of the classic generation have been tried over the St Leger trip of one mile and six and a half furlongs by the time they line up in the final classic.

We know that Illinois stays a mile and six furlongs, he won the Queen’s Vase over that trip at Royal Ascot in June, and that race has been a major pointer to the St Leger since it was reduced in distance from two miles in 2017.

The Queen’s Vase winner that year, Stradivarius, finished third in the St Leger. The 2018 Queen’s Vase winner Kew Gardens won the Leger, as did the 2022 Queen’s Vase winner Eldar Eldarov.

Illinois has since finished second in the Grand Prix de Paris and in the Great Voltigeur Stakes over a mile and a half, but he should appreciate the step back out in trip today, and Aidan O’Brien’s horse is the logical favourite.

Ballydoyle horses occupy the next two places in the current market too. Jan Brueghel is unbeaten in three, he won the Gordon Stakes last time, and he shapes as if he will improve for stepping up in trip.

Grosvenor Square led from the start until 60 yards from the line in the Group 2 Curragh Cup, just run down close home by Tower Of London. Then he went back to the Curragh last time and, over the same course and distance, won the Irish St Leger Trial by 20 lengths.

Value of the race

He is a big player but, at a slightly bigger price, You Got To Me could be the value of the race.

Ralph Beckett’s filly is a free-going type, she was keener than ideal early on when she made all in the Lingfield Oaks Trial in May, and she was keen again when she finished fourth in the Oaks, and when she weakened after leading early on to take the same position in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time in the Irish Oaks, she took a big step forward at the Curragh, she led a furlong out and she stayed on well enough to get home by three-quarters of a length from Content.

She couldn’t contain Content last time in the Yorkshire Oaks, but she ran well in defeat, she stayed on well down the near side to get the better of the high-class Emily Upjohn, just giving best to Content, who kept on well closer to the inside rail.

By Nathaniel out of a mare who won the Listed Galtres Stakes over a mile and a half, and a half-sister to Ziggy, who has won twice over a mile and a half, there is every chance that You Got To Me will stay the St Leger trip all right.

She races like she could even improve for a step up in distance, and it is significant that connections paid the £50,000 supplementary entry fee to put her in the St Leger on Monday. The tongue-tie is retained, which is a positive, and trainer Ralph Beckett has a great record in the St Leger with fillies. Look Here was third in 2008, Talent was second in 2013, and Simple Verse won the race in 2015.

Portland Handicap

The Portland Handicap obviously requires a whole different skill set, and Albasheer could be the answer.

Sent off as 11/2 second favourite for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot in June, Archie Watson’s horse has been in fine form of late.

Winner of a five-furlong handicap at Ascot on King George weekend, he was beaten less than five lengths in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, and he ran much better than his finishing position suggests in a heritage handicap at York’s Ebor meeting from stall 19.

All week on the straight track at York, it was an advantage to be drawn low and, in that race in particular, the first nine horses home in a 19-runner race were all drawn 10 or lower. Albasheer did best by far of the high-drawn horses.

There was a small gap between Albasheer and the rest of the field. He was the only one of the first 10 home who was drawn higher than 10, and he was drawn 19, right over towards the near side.

Then last time, in the Beverley Bullet over five furlongs at Beverley, Albasheer just failed to catch Democracy Dilemma, who made all the running.

The Shamardal gelding should be happier stepped up a little in trip today. This five-and-a-half-furlong trip could be ideal. Also, he has run just twice at Doncaster, the first two runs of his 26-race career to date were there.

It is indeed strange that he hasn’t been back there since his juvenile days, but he won the first of those races, and he finished second in the second of them, the Group 2 Champagne Stakes, behind subsequent Summer Mile winner Chindit, with subsequent Cox Plate and Prix Ganay and Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner State Of Rest behind him in third.

A lot of water has obviously flowed under a lot of bridges since then, but it will be interesting to see how he gets on now, back on Town Moore for the first time in exactly four years.

Albasheer, 2.25 Doncaster, 9/1 (generally), 1 point each-way

You Got To Me, 3.40 Doncaster, 5/1 (generally), 1 point win