BETFRED have really rolled out the betting carpet with their sponsorship of the St Leger meeting, with the obvious highlight being the final and longest classic of the season due off at 3:40 with just seven set to go to post and three of them trained by Aidan O’Brien.

Jan Brueghel may well be the best of the trio long term, but he still looked very green when landing the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and although he is bred to adore the extra two-and-a half furlongs here, that greenness may resurface, and he won’t have the assistance of Ryan Moore (riding in Ireland) to help him out this time.

The stable’s apparent number one, Illinois, arguably has the best form of the team courtesy of his staying on seconds in the Grand Prix de Paris and Great Voltigeur Stakes behind Sosie and Los Angeles respectively.

Both back-to-back runs represent a further step forward, and the long stretch at the Town Moor track looks sure to suit admirably.

But I just wonder if the strongest stayer in the line-up will be GROSVENOR SQUARE. On a line through Los Angeles in the Irish Derby he has plenty to find with Illinois, but he has come forward some 16lbs since that run, flying clear of his field in the Irish St Leger Trial Stakes.

You could make a viable case that he was flattered by that 20-length success, but he is a pure and simple galloper and although the fractions will have to be spot on, this son of Galileo could well pummel his rivals into the ground.

Of the home contingent, if Sunway sees out the trip he has the class to be involved at the business end, and he is preferred to the supplemented You Got To Me who has something to find based on her staying on second in the Yorkshire Oaks.

The Betfred Portland Heritage Handicap over the intermediate trip of five-and-a-half furlongs is always a desperately hard sprint to decipher, and this year’s field looks well up to scratch class-wise, with six runners rated in three figures or higher.

I will be backing two entries at huge prices in this speed test at 2:25 and first up will be SILKIE WILKIE. Rated as high as 109 this time last year, his form has taken a significant dip this year, but as a result he looks well handicapped off a mark of 97.

Add in the 7lbs claim of Sam Feilden and 90 looks too good a rating to ignore. The one negative could be his draw in stall one on the far side of the track. I would expect his young jockey to take him into the middle of the pack and bury him away in midfield.

A top price of 50/1 with the enhanced placed odds has drawn me in, and I shall be backing him alongside his next-door neighbour WODAO.

Winner of a Listed contest at Tipperary and rated as high as 109 as a three-year-old, he has only raced twice since coming from Donnacha O’Brien to Jamie Osborne. However, I was really taken by his staying on third behind Sergeant Wilko at Goodwood off 95, and he gets a chance to run off the same mark here.

Of the market leaders, if like me, you want a saver from those drawn high, Rumstar from stall number 15 could fit the bill if returning to anywhere near his best. Those three combined in a tricast would be very interesting and highly rewarding!

As far as the rest of the Town Moor card is concerned, the opening Group Two Champagne Stakes (1:50) looks a fair renewal and I am really sweet on the claims of WOLF OF BADENOCH at around 7/1.

He looked in need of this kind of trip when coming home strongly in the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood when a closing one-and-three-quarter lengths second behind Aomori City.

Hugo Palmer’s charge looks the value play here over the likely favourite and all-the-way winner of a novice event over this course and distance, Chancellor.

POET MASTER (3:00) may have to give away weight all-round in the Betfred Park Stakes, but he is massively on the upgrade, judged on his Minstrel Stakes win in Ireland.

All ground comes alike to this son of Lope de Vega, and it is worth remembering that this will only be his eighth career start. He won at this meeting last year.

If he is to be beaten then the biggest danger has to be the three-year-old Lake Forest who should improve for this his first start over seven furlongs.

His breeding and style of running behind good yardsticks Inisherin and Elite Status tells us he should benefit from the extra yardage here.

Later on, LIBERTY LANE (4:15) may bounce back after a small break to defy top weight in the PJ Towey Construction Handicap. He can successfully give the weight away to King Lear.

The big field one-mile class-two handicap at 5:25 looks hugely competitive with plenty of strength in depth. Preference is for BOPEDRO, who should get the strong gallop he needs to go close from off the pace, as long as there is no more rain.

I have also backed him each-way for the Cambridgeshire in the hope that he runs well here in advance of the Newmarket contest.

Over at Leopardstown, the enigmatic Auguste Rodin bids to land the sixth Group One prize of his career in defence of his title in the Royal Bahrain Champion Stakes at 3.25.

The more the ground dries out, the better his chance. But on peak figures he is the solid bet against his seven rivals. However, his price will reflect his chance and I would rather have an each-way interest ROYAL RHYME at a huge price.

Good to firm ground has simply been no good for this four-year-old on his last three starts at Group One and Group Two level, but back on a better surface he could well surprise a few of these and hit the three if the full eight go to post.

I am hoping that EUPHORIC (4:00) doesn’t go off like a scalded cat in the Group Three Tony Bet “We’re Here To Play” Stakes. He has simply acted as a pacemaker to the likes of Los Angeles and City of Troy this season, but is a fair tool in his own right.

This represents a more realistic chance for the son of Frankel against his elders.