ARREST got his classic claims back on track at Newbury last month when he won the Geoffrey Freer Stakes.

In so doing, he was following in some fairly illustrious hoofprints, as only four three-year-olds had won the race in the previous decade, and two of them were Hukum and Defoe.

Arrest has to have easy ground. His best performance this season to date was his Chester Vase performance, when he beat Adelaide River by six and a half lengths, while his worst two were in the Derby and the King Edward VII Stakes, both on fast ground.

But he is going to have easy ground today, at least easy ground. Probably soft down the back straight, they are saying, good to soft in the home straight, and that is if there is no more rain.

It wasn’t a huge surprise that Frankie Dettori chose to ride the Juddmonte colt in today’s Betfred St Leger, and that will bring with it the attention and the market strength that Frankie attracts, especially these days, in the big races.

Arrest may well win, but he is short, and it may be that he was at least a little flattered by his pillar-to-post victory in the Geoffrey Freer.

Continuous is a big player, Aidan O’Brien’s horse won the Great Voltigeur, he dug deep to beat the Bahrain Trophy winner Castle Way in the York race, a contest that has historically been a good pointer to the Leger.

That was on fast ground but he won a Group 3 contest at Saint-Cloud last September on very soft ground, and it is obviously significant that Ryan Moore has chosen to ride him in front of Tower Of London, who was probably unlucky not to win the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket’s July meeting.

Improvement possible

He should improve again and, out of a sister to Maybe and by stamina influence Heart’s Cry, he races like he will get further than a mile and a half. There is nothing not to like about him.

There is a lot to like about Desert Hero too though, and he could be the value of the race at the prices.

Winner of two of his three races last season as a juvenile, William Haggas’ horse was well beaten when sent off as favourite for the hugely competitive London Gold Cup on Lockinge Stakes day at Newbury in May, when he led from early and just weakened close home.

He proved that that run was all wrong, however, at Royal Ascot next time, when he was ridden more patiently and he stayed on best of all to win the King George V Handicap - a Royal winner at Royal Ascot allowed go off at 18/1. He may have been flattered a little that day, ridden well back in the field off a strong pace.

But he did appreciate the step up to a mile and a half then, and he proved that his Royal Ascot win was not a one-off when he went to Goodwood last time and won the Gordon Stakes, another race that is a good St Leger pointer.

He only won by a neck from Chesspiece, but he travelled really well to the two-furlong marker, and he stayed on gamely on the far side to get the better of the Crisfords’ colt.

Chesspiece is a player again today, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Desert Hero progressed again, if he had more in hand over the Godolphin horse today than the neck by which he beat him at Goodwood.

Desert Hero goes well on easy ground too and, by Sea The Stars and out of a sister to Dartmouth, winner of the Hardwicke Stakes and the Ormonde Stakes and the Yorkshire Cup, there is every chance that he will improve for the step up to a mile and six and a half furlongs.

Portland pick

Earlier in the day, Tees Spirit could go well in a hugely competitive Portland Handicap. Adrian Nicholls’ horse hasn’t won since he won the Listed Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary in August last year, but he has dropped back down to a handicap mark of 93, and he ran better than the bare form of the run suggests at Haydock last week.

Not only was he slowly away that day, but he was also hampered as two rivals came across him on leaving the stalls.

In the circumstances, for a horse who likes to race prominently, he did well to keep on as well as he did to finish second to Raasel.

He goes into today’s race in good form, Mia Nicholls, who rode him for the first time in a race at Haydock last time, claims 7lb, and he won’t mind an ease in the ground. Also, he goes well at Doncaster.

He has won on Town Moor once, and finished second there twice and third once in four runs. He could further enhance that record today.

Tees Spirit, 2.25 Doncaster, 12/1 (generally), 1 point each-way

Desert Hero, 3.35 Doncaster, 11/2 (generally), 1 point win