Five horses to follow on Saturday at Leopardstown and Doncaster

Tipster: Johnny Ward.

Best odds: 15-8.

READ MORE ➡️ Johnny Ward's Leopardstown tips: "A lively contender at 33-1"

I am annoyed that this youngster is now favourite (she wasn't when we recorded Thursday's On The Wire - watch below), and she surely deserves to be favourite. 

She looked awesome at Naas on debut, and I thought Billy Lee was full of confidence when talking to Fran Berry on Racing TV on Thursdsay at Laytown. 

Tipster: Ross Millar.

Best odds: 6-5.

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I’m a big fan of Breacher and I’m convinced he’s a group winner in the future, but this is about the here and now and to my mind this race revolves around only one horse: Desert Castle. 

He’s the least experienced runner in the field and on official figures he has the most to find, yet sometimes you just have to trust your eye and at Newmarket on his debut he looked potentially top-class. On that occasion Billy Loughnane, who retains the ride, was clearly intent on giving the sizeable son of Frankel as much education as possible, racing him in behind the leaders despite travelling with much more class. 

When asked to quicken he showed a very smart turn of foot with the only blemish coming when slightly hanging to his left late on. 

The form has yet to be franked but in truth he was in a different stratosphere to those rivals so I’m not unduly concerned. 

I expect a big performance from him.

Tipster: Andy Stephens (RaceiQ).

Best odds: 2-1.

READ MORE ➡️ Your ultimate guide to the St Leger and forecast 1-2-3

Joseph O’Brien is enjoying a memorable season and the long-striding Enceladus will attempt to give him a second St Leger triumph after Galileo Chrome in 2020, with Billy Loughnane snapped up to ride.

The imposing Sea The Stars colt is unbeaten in three starts this term, taking his form to another level when a decisive winner of the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood last time. His two “fast” final furlongs of 11.40sec and 12.08sec enabled him to seal the deal, even if the big boy then didn’t fancy returning to the winner’s enclosure.

Four horses this century have won that race on their way to Leger glory; the latest being Jan Brueghel in 2024.

The runner-up, Geryon, who was conceding 3lb, looks a decent yardstick, for all that he disappointed next time.

Enceladus had previously scooped the King George V Stakes in tenacious style at Royal Ascot. He won that off a mark of just 89, but he clocked a taking time after going hard early and sustaining the gallop.

That form has been franked several times and he would not be the first to take the final Classic of the season after running in a handicap earlier in the campaign.

Enceladus’s low stride cadence and ability to devour ground points to him not just staying the St Leger trip, but improving for it. His minimum/maximum strides per second are seductive, suggesting others will be working harder than him. He stretched out to 8.48 metres at Ascot and touched 8.25 metres at Goodwood.

His half-brother, Moab, gave a timely reminder of the family’s staying power when scoring over 2m 3f at Fontwell on Sunday.

Enceladus also has the size and shape for Jumps, but it will be a big surprise if we ever see him that sphere. Cup races surely beckon for him in 2027 regardless of what happens his weekend.

He is drawn in stall 9, from which four winners have jumped since 2003 (also not used six times in this period, making it the most successful stall).

Tipster: Dave Nevison.

Best odds: 8-1.

READ MORE ➡️

This well-bred, and quite expensive, son of Dubawi was not really living up to his pedigree until the middle of the summer, and since winning a handicap in July, his form has taken off. I believe he can land a quick hat-trick here. 

Karl Burke has placed him well to win handicaps at Goodwood and York recently, and he runs here without a penalty for his comfortable success in a competitive apprentice’s event last Sunday. 

Inspired is going through the grades in style and though he has never raced at this level as yet his dam was Timeform rated 110 so is certainly bred to cope with at least this level and might end up better still.

Tipster: Nic Doggett.

Best odds: 9-2.

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Beat Ombudsman in last year's Brigadier Gerard but his best performance arguably came when third behind Calandagan and Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes later in the season. 

Took another step forward when landing the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on his return, and likely found the ground too quick – at the top level at least – when only fourth behind old foe Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. 

Never far from the pace and looked to have made a race-winning move when collared close home by Item in the Juddmonte International last month, possibly paying the price for being in front a long way from home. 

Uncomplicated sort who would welcome any rain.