Silver Patriarch has the credentials

Doncaster stages the £230,000-added Pertemps St Leger today when Silver Patriarch attempts to make amends for his short-head defeat in the English Derby.

The colt was outpaced in the early stages at Epsom but Pat Eddery conjured an astonishing run out of the massive grey and the combination failed by a whisker to catch Benny The Dip.

Backed to go one better in the Irish equivalent three weeks later, Silver Patriarch ran too freely and dropped away to finish a disappointing fifth, 13 lengths behind Desert King.

Not seen out again until York in August, the Saddlers' Hall colt was possibly just short of peak fitness when beaten half a length by Stowaway in the Great Voltigeur Stakes and connections are optimistic of reversing the form with the Godolphin runner today.

Judged on his efforts at Epsom and York, John Dunlop's charge, who acts on any ground, appears to be crying out for the Town Moor's 14 furlongs.

Stowaway, whose jockey Frankie Dettori will be seeking a hat-trick of wins in the world's oldest Classic - first run in 1776 - following the victories of Classic Cliche and Shantou, is an improving colt but may be unable to cope with a super-fit Silver Patriarch.

Leading French trainer Andre Fabre, who sent over Toulon to win the Leger in 1991, has supplemented Vertical Speed for the race at a cost of £18,000. Unraced at two, Vertical Speed is unbeaten in three starts, winning the Group Three Prix du Lys and easily beating subsequent Park Hill winner Book At Bedtime in the Group Two Prix Hubert de Chaudenay over 15 furlongs.

A son of Bering who possess both speed and stamina, the Daniel Wildenstein-owned colt is a top-class horse in the making and his chances must be respected.

However, the horse with the best credentials would appear to be Silver Patriarch, who is napped to become the first Derby second to lift the St Leger since Touching Wood outstayed his rivals in 1982.

Some speedy juveniles line up 35 minutes later in the Polypipe PLC Flying Childers Stakes over five furlongs. Most of the contestants appear fully exposed and it could pay to follow Land of Dreams from the in-form Mark Johnston stable.

Successful in a Pontefract maiden in June, the daughter of Cadeaux Genereux has since shown improved form when runner-up in Listed events at Newmarket and more recently at Ripon.

At the North Yorkshire track the Kingsley House runner did not enjoy the run of the race but, once switched, she kept on well to chase home the smart Arkadian Hero, albeit at a distance of two and a half lengths.

The third horse that day Mijana has since landed a Listed event in good style so the form looks very sound.

With a fast pace guaranteed today, Land of Dreams can finish strongly to lift this Group Two race on her first attempt at the minimum trip.

Tim Easterby, another trainer in top form, can register a good-priced double courtesy of hat-trick seeking High Spirits in the Rothmans Royals North South Challenge Series Semi-Final and Jo Mell in the following Porcelanosa Rated Stakes.

Paul Cole sends Strategic Choice (Richard Quinn) to Turkey tomorrow to tackle the valuable Bosphorus Trophy over a mile and a half at Veliefendi in Istanbul. There will be three British runners at the Turkish venue with Ben Hanbury's Ramooz, Mark Johnston's Fly To The Stars and John Dunlop's Sandstone.