Aidan O’Brien and the Gosdens are responsible for seven of the nine remaining horses left in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
Numerically at least, the master of Ballydoyle, who saddled a remarkable 4000th career worldwide winner on Sunday, holds the strongest hand.
He has four horses going forward in Sky Bet Great Voltigeur winner Continuous, Tower Of London, Alexandroupolis and Denmark.
John and Thady Gosden are responsible for the favourite, Gregory, who was third in the York feature under a penalty. He’ll relish going back up in trip on Saturday and will be Frankie Dettori’s final ride in a British Classic.
Middle Earth was supplemented into the race off the back of a taking win in the Sky Bet Melrose Stakes at York, while Arrest, sent off favourite for the Derby, got back to winning ways in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury last time.
Oisin Murphy rides Middle Earth and is excited about his prospects. He told Sky Sports Racing: “He has to step up on his Melrose victory, but the form has been franked. He beat Naqeeb at Newmarket in the novice and he won really at Haydock (on Saturday) and Kempton the time before, so hopefully he’s improving and I’m looking forward to riding him.
“Sheikh Fahad has won the race before with Simple Verse, so hopefully he’ll be bang there.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a very big field, but there’s some good horses in there. Time will tell, but I think he’s a horse with the right profile and I’d be very excited about his future in general anyway.”
The other two acceptors are Gordon Stakes one-two Desert Hero and Chesspiece.
The former will be carrying the colours of The King and Queen and would be a very significant winner. He’s progressive having taken the King George VI Stakes at Royal Ascot on his previous start.
As he steps up to 1m6f for the very first time, Desert Crown will be partnered by a man who already knows what it takes to win this contest in Tom Marquand.
Marquand said: “He ticks all the boxes of what you want from a Leger horse. It’s 1m6f but he has speed, he stays, he relaxes right and he’s with the right team, so fingers crossed we get a good draw and the right trip around.”
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