YOU can easily understand why Il Paradiso has now emerged as the shortest-priced Aidan O’Brien-trained contender for the William Hill St Leger.

The Galileo colt has progressed markedly as the season has developed, from winning a maiden by a half a length on his seasonal debut, the fourth run of his career, to winning a two-mile handicap at the Curragh on Irish Oaks weekend. He won the latter by 12 lengths off a mark of 89. Last Friday, he got to within a length and a quarter of the mighty Stradivarius in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York, beaten by the bob of a head by the 119-rated four-year-old Dee Ex Bee for second.

Interestingly, he was the first three-year-old to run in the race since the David Elsworth-trained Highland Castle finished eighth behind Opinion Poll and Duncan in 2011.

But don’t go giving up on Constantinople as a St Leger prospect. He has the profile of a Ballydoyle St Leger horse. He won the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend, a race that Leading Light won in 2013 before he won the St Leger, and a race in which the 2005 St Leger winner Scorpion was beaten a short-head.

Constantinople finished second to Logician in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, a race that Aidan O’Brien won in 2001 with his first St Leger winner Milan, and a race in which his St Leger winners Brian Boru (2003) and Kew Gardens (last year) were both beaten. Also, he won the Great Voltigeur in 2016 with Idaho, who was travelling like a winner in the St Leger three and a half weeks later when he stumbled and gave Seamie Heffernan no chance.

Constantinople has the form too. His defeat of Buckhurst in the Gallinule Stakes looks even better now than it did then, given that Joseph O’Brien’s horse has since won the International Stakes and the Royal Whip Stakes. And it looked like he was travelling better than Logician at the two-furlong marker in the Great Voltigeur.

There is every chance that Constantinople’s trainer will elicit at least a little bit of improvement from him from his Great Voltigeur run, stepping up in distance, as he did with Milan, Brian Boru, Kew Gardens and, if he does, that should bring the Gallinule Stakes winner right into the St Leger mix.