Aidan O’Brien’s phone could get busy this week as jockeys and their agents press their case to get on the Ballydoyle bandwagon for Saturday’s Betfred St Leger at Doncaster. With Ryan Moore on duty at Leopardstown for the first leg of the Irish Champions Festival, O’Brien’s number two Wayne Lordan is set to travel to Yorkshire and team up with the ante-post favourite Illinois. However, as Ballydoyle’s riding team is stretched to cover top-class racing on both sides of the Irish Sea, prime classic opportunities also look likely among O’Brien’s other Leger entries. The Irishman is in pursuit of an eighth English Leger and has half of the 10 entries left in the world’s oldest classic after Monday’s latest acceptance stage. As well as Illinois, the unbeaten Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square, winner by 20 lengths on his last start at the Curragh, are also towards the top of the betting. Irish Derby hero Los Angeles is left in too but is being targeted at the Irish Champion Stakes instead while Euphoric is an outsider.

Asked about jockey arrangements O’Brien said on Monday: “I’m not sure yet. They are working in the morning. It looks at the moment like Wayne might be going.” Lordan can’t ride them all though and the potential to emulate Frankie Dettori who picked up a lucky Leger spare on O’Brien’s 2005 winner Scorpion could be there. What had looked like being overwhelming Ballydoyle dominance for Saturday’s final classic of the English season altered though when You Got To Me was supplemented into the Leger at a cost of £50,000 (€59,000). Ralph Beckett’s filly beat Content in July’s Irish Oaks and although places were subsequently reversed in the Yorkshire Oaks, You Got To Me represents a proper challenge to the Irish raiders.

“I don’t think stamina will be an issue. She seems in good shape. We’re conscious that her best form is on good ground or faster and it looks like being that at the weekend if the forecast is correct. It felt like a good fit for her,” said Beckett. The trainer was a Leger winner with Simple Verse in 2015 although it required a successful appeal against her demotion in favour of O’Brien’s Bondi Beach by the race-day stewards. Beckett was also runner-up in the Leger with Talent and third with another filly, Look Here. “We’ve been first, second and third with fillies in the Leger. I wouldn’t say we’ve always got it right, but it is certainly not a race that holds any fears, for sure,” he added. Sunway, runner-up to Los Angeles in the Irish Derby during the summer, is also set to line up at Town Moor.

The Ballydoyle team have left four in the Group Two Champagne Stakes on Saturday’s Doncaster card. They include Bernard Shaw, a nine-length maiden winner at Dundalk on his last start. Ancient Wisdom’s Leger defection due to likely quick ground frees up William Buick for a busy transatlantic weekend. Godolphin’s number one rider will be at Woodbine on Saturday night before jetting back to Ireland and riding at the Curragh leg of the Irish Champions Festival on Sunday. Buick is set to team up with Godolphin’s top two-year-old Ancient Truth in the Goffs National Stakes where he is likely to meet O’Brien’s unbeaten star Henri Matisse.

“He’s a horse who has taken every run with ease and is a Superlative winner, they have a good record in the National Stakes. He’s a very progressive horse and I think he’s a horse who is improving the whole time,” said Buick. A meeting of minds as the clock ticked down ended with connections unanimously agreeing to supplement Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me at a cost of £50,000 for Saturday's Betfred St Leger (3.40). With the going described as good at Doncaster and no major downpours forecast before Saturday's big race, the Ralph Beckett-trained You Got To Me, who races for owners Valmont and Newsells Park Stud, has been handed the chance to add a Classic on home turf to the one she won in Ireland at the end of July.

“We had a conference call with Newsells racing manager Gary Coffey, Anthony Ramsden [of Valmont], Ralph and myself this morning and the final decision to supplement was made about 30 minutes before the deadline,” said Valmont’s representative Alex Elliott on Monday. You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) has been supplemented by owners Valmont and Newsells Park Stud for Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster at a cost of £50,000. Last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, You Got To Me is one of 10 horses in contention for the final Classic of the season as she tries to emulate Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), the last filly to win the race when successful in 2015. Like Simple Verse, You Got To Me is trained by Ralph Beckett, who is optimistic of another bold showing in the St Leger from one of his star fillies, having also saddled his Oaks winners Look Here (GB) (Hernando {Fr}) and Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) to finish third and second, respectively.

“I don't think stamina will be an issue and she seems in good shape,” said Beckett. “We're conscious that her best form is on good ground or faster and it looks like being that at the weekend if the forecast is correct. It felt like a good fit for her. “We've been first, second and third with fillies in the Leger. I wouldn't say we've always got it right, but it is certainly not a race that holds any fears, for sure.” Aidan O'Brien is responsible for five of the remaining entries. They include ante-post favourite Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who emerged as the stable's number one contender after it was reported that Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is more likely to run in Saturday's G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown instead. Los Angeles defied a Group 1 penalty for his Irish Derby win when narrowly denying Illinois in the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last time. The unbeaten Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last seen winning the G3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, and Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a wide-margin winner of last month's G3 Irish St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh, also feature in what is potentially a very strong Ballydoyle challenge. Euphoric (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was last of five runners in the Great Voltigeur last time, completes their quintet of possible runners as O'Brien seeks an eighth victory in the St Leger.

Of the rest, Deira Mile (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) both bring Classic form to the table from earlier in the season. Deira Mile was narrowly beaten in a Listed race at Windsor last month when making his first appearance since finishing a staying-on fourth in the Derby at Epsom, while Sunway was runner-up to Los Angeles in the Irish Derby before finishing a respectable fourth in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. “He is all on track,” trainer David Menuisier said of Sunway. “We are very pleased with him and we have confirmed him this morning. Everything has gone as we would have liked and we are really looking forward to running him on Saturday.” Andrew Balding's progressive Wild Waves (Ire) (Crystal Ocean {GB}) and Charlie Johnston's three-time winner Align The Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) complete the list of possible runners, with Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) a notable absentee. An update on Godolphin's X account read, “Ancient Wisdom will not be confirmed for the @DoncasterRaces St Leger Stakes at today's five-day stage. The horse is in good form, but will instead be aimed at an autumn campaign with his favoured ground conditions.” Ben Linfoot, Dave Ord and Tony McFadden share their thoughts ahead of the top-class racing at Doncaster, Leopardstown and the Curragh.

Ben Linfoot: It’s not that inspiring a race this year and I’m struggling to muster enthusiasm from a betting perspective, as well. Of course, much will depend on what Aidan O’Brien does and while the market clearly suggests Los Angeles isn’t coming over I don’t think there’s an awful lot between his trio that do dominate the betting. Grosvenor Square has been a horse on my radar for staying contests ever since Chester and he showcased what he can do in a 20-length romp over a mile and three-quarters at the Curragh last time at odds of 1/2. We’ll see if he comes over and we’ll see who rides him, but he’s firmly on the radar. Dave Ord: There isn't much between those at the top of the market on Timeform ratings. Illinois is rock-solid but looks short enough at around 7/4. I can definitely see the case for You Got To Me who promises to stay this trip and her Irish Oaks win and Yorkshire Oaks second represent form as good as anything in the race. But I just feel Jan Brueghel will have learned plenty from what was only his third career start in the Gordon Stakes. He was still clearly rough around the edges but found plenty when challenged by Bellum Justum with seemingly more under the bonnet too. This will bring his seemingly abundant stamina more into play and I think he can improve past his more exposed rivals a result.

Tony McFadden: Jan Brueghel made heavy weather of justifying short-price favouritism in the Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half, but he was conceding 3 lb to a smart and more experienced rival in Bellum Justum and there was a lot to like about how he toughed it out after coming under pressure with more than half a mile to run. There was understandably still an element of rawness to the display on just his third start so he's entitled to be sharper for the experience, while the way he kept pulling out extra when challenged suggests that he ought to relish the step up in trip to this extended mile and three-quarters. Unlike his stablemates, Jan Brueghel still has the Timeform 'p' to denote he's likely to improve and it is that potential for progress that gives him the edge.