Preview and tips ahead of Sunday's St Leger meeting at Doncaster

Following the very sad news of Her Majesty The Queen’s passing, the meeting has been rescheduled into a nine-race card which will also pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II’s longstanding role as an owner, breeder and ambassador for the sport of horse racing.

A race with a rich heritage, greats of the game including Nijinsky, Hyperion, Reference Point, Bustino and Hurricane Lane are all past winners and this year’s renewal looks set to see a small but select field of 11 go to post.

First run in 1776, the St Leger is the oldest of Britain’s five Classics and its distance is longer than the other four. The race also makes up the final leg of the English Triple Crown which also includes the 2000 Guineas and the Derby.

You can watch the race live on ITV this weekend with an off time of 3.55pm. We have previewed the race and we recommend using the SBK Sportsbook App.

Charlie Appleby and Godolphin are enjoying a fantastic season and they are chasing successive wins in the showpiece event. They saddle hot favourite New London who impressively landed the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time out. That really marked him out as a serious St Leger contender and he has to be towards the top of every shortlist.

Eldar Eldarov was an impressive last-gasp winner at Royal Ascot in the Queen’s Vase, but he failed to fire when a well-beaten fourth in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. However, he does represent Roger Varian who enjoyed success in this race back in 2014 with Kingston Hill.

Hoo Ya Mal was purchased for £1.2 million following his second in the Derby at Epsom and went on to finish third on his first start for new connections behind New London in the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. He impressively landed the March Stakes, justifying cramped odds in the process on his latest start and therefore warrants attention here. His trainer George Boughey told SBK: “He came to the yard not that long before his first run at Goodwood. We’re still getting to know him but over the last couple of weeks, he’s started to thrive. He's been a very straightforward horse to train, and we’ve always had it in the back of our minds that he’s not really ‘our’ horse. We’re looking after him for the meantime before he goes down (to Australia) and tries to stay two miles on his first start. It’s been a case of slowing him down rather than quickening him up. He seems relaxed and in great shape.”

Haskoy is a fascinating runner having been supplemented for the race as she looks to become the 10th filly to win the contest. She would join a select band which includes Sceptre (1902), Pretty Polly (1904) and Sun Chariot (1942) and Dunfermline (1977). She looked all about stamina when backing up a debut win at Wolverhampton with a gutsy Listed success at York last time out and in receipt of the fillies’ allowance, she clearly warrants a mention. Zechariah is also interesting. He was beaten a nose by Eldar Eldarov at Royal Ascot and scored in ready fashion in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury last time out.

Ballydoyle maestro Aidan O’Brien has won the race six times, most recently with Kew Gardnes in 2018. He is doubly represented with Bluegrass and the filly Emily Dickinson. Bluegrass was third in the Dante Stakes at May, but needs to overcome a very disappointing fourth in Listed company at Leopardstown last time out, whilst Emily Dickinson has run well in defeat of late, latterly filling third in the Lillie Langtry Stakes where she stayed on strongly under pressure. Irish Derby third French Claim is another interesting runner for shrewd Irish trainer Paddy Twomey and cannot be ignored.

Big-race verdict: Haskoy and Emily Dickinson are two interesting fillies to note in this event given they look sure to relish this stiff test of stamina. However, New London looks sure to also be suited as he steps up in trip and he can give Godolphin and Charlie Appleby successive wins in the final British Classic of the season.

Elsewhere on the card, the £120,000 G2 Champagne stakes at 12.30pm over seven furlongs includes Godolphin’s Silver Knott. He backed up victory at Kempton on the All-Weather, with success in the Solario Stakes at Sandown and looks an exciting prospect. Chaldean won the Acomb Stakes at York in good style last month, beating Indestructible in the process and he is another name to note along with Vintage Stakes runner-up Holloway Boy in this event.

Doncaster selections

12.30pm - Silver Knott

1.00pm - Bellosa

1.35pm - The Platinum Queen

2.10pm - Makanah

2.45pm - Trueshan

3.20pm - Double Or Bubble

3.55pm - New London

4.30pm - Tyrrhenian Star

5.05pm - Going Gone