HOT favourite Pyledriver is among a field of 12 for the Pertemps St Leger at Doncaster.
William Muir’s stable star will attempt to continue his fairytale season on Saturday, after big-race wins at Royal Ascot and York.
The Lambourn trainer’s ace will face three runners from Ballydoyle, with Aidan O’Brien declaring Irish Derby winner Santiago alongside Dawn Patrol and Mythical.
Joseph O’Brien’s Galileo Chrome and Sunchart, trained by Andy Slattery, are the other Irish raiders in the field.
Ed Walker has declared English King, but connections are still favouring a run in Sunday’s Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp.
Walker said: “We’ve declared for the St Leger – but the plan for a long time has been to head to France, and we’re still very much leaning that way.
“We’re just very concerned about travel arrangements and the changing world of Covid.
“With numbers increasing here, the last thing in the world we want is for France to slap a two-week quarantine on people coming from England to France and then we can’t go – so we’re just covering all angles.
“We have to decide finally by 8.30am tomorrow, so it basically gives us an extra day to see how the water lies. If everything is equal we’ll be going to Paris on Sunday.
“Tom Marquand is booked to ride in the Leger, because I told Frankie Dettori a few weeks ago we were very unlikely to run in the Leger – and as far as I understand, Frankie is riding Santiago.
“Frankie is already set to be in France to ride Stradivarius, so I think we’ve got everything covered. It’s a huge day for Bjorn (Nielsen, owner) with Stradivarius back over a mile and a half in the Prix Foy on his way to the Arc.
“I think English King is as good as I’ve had him all year, to be honest. I know he’s got doubters now but I’m not one and I’m hoping this weekend he’ll prove them all wrong.”
Hukum, winner of the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, will bid to give his trainer Owen Burrows a first Classic triumph at Doncaster.
Berkshire Rocco, Mohican Heights, Subjectivist and Tyson Fury complete the dozen hopefuls.
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