With the retirement of Aidan O’Brien’s legend Kyprios, the staying division has become open – granting an opportunity for a new star to step into the limelight.

In recent years, the 2800m Group 1 Irish St Leger has been dominated by older horses, with four of the last five renewals taken by four-year-olds. The experienced Al Riffa and Illinois head the market and come into the race with a good level of recent form. Joseph O'Brien's Al Riffa has been campaigned all over the world in recent years and the five-year-old appeared to favour the step up in distance to 2800m when running out a five-length winner of the course and distance Group 2 Curragh Cup.

Aidan O'Brien's Illinois had looked to be the likely successor to Kyprios' crown at the start of the year but failed to deliver on the biggest days, finishing second to Godolphin's Trawlerman in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup before filling the same position behind younger stablemate Scandinavia at Glorious Goodwood. The drop back to 2800m could be suitable for the talented four-year-old, who finished only a neck behind Jan Brueghel in last year's Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster, run over the same distance.

Only one British horse has triumphed in the last ten years, and Ralph Beckett sends over the unbeaten three-year-old Amiloc, who stamped his authority on the 2400m Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. The step up to 2800m and the yielding ground is a question mark for the son of Postponed, who is unexposed in those conditions.

Crystal Black is an interesting contender for the Keane family, trained by Gerard Keane and ridden by son Colin, having only run twice this season. A potential Melbourne Cup chance in 2024, he improved from his seasonal reappearance at the Curragh to finish runner-up in the 2400m Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes in early August. Further progression is likely for this seven-year-old, who still appears to be improving for the yard.