INCH PERFECT may well have the measure of his rivals on an excellent supporting card to the Group One St Leger at Doncaster today.

Richard Fahey's gelding is on a retrieval mission in the £25,000 Torne Valley Handicap, having flopped when 7-2 favourite in a similar standard race at York 13 days ago.

The fact that Inch Perfect (2.30) returns to the well so quickly suggests the six-year-old has come out of the Knavesmire fiasco 100 per cent fit, even though he did disappoint rather badly.

Perhaps the selection had a legitimate excuse because Robert Winston's mount didn't enjoy the clearest of passages half way up the home straight and the jockey certainly wasn't hard on Fahey's charge once his chance had gone.

In terms of prestige, the five-furlong Group Two Polypipe Flying Childers Stakes is a hugely important juvenile contest.

The usual suspects, Stoute, O'Brien, and Easterby, are all represented, but I think the £50,000 event might go to one of the less fashionable yards in the shape of Gerard Butler's Swiss Lake (4.45).

A high draw has been absolutely essential on the straight track over the past three days and Swiss Lake, coming out of the number 12 stall, has been one of the luckier ones. She showed blistering speed to make all at Newbury in August and I expect the self-same tactics to be adopted aboard the daughter of Blue Iris, herself a lightning fast individual in her racing days.

Back-to-form Blakeshall Boy (3.25) looks the lad to follow in the five-furlong dash for the SNAI International Handicap at Epsom.

Mick Channon's speedster had been woefully out-of-sorts until showing something of his old sparkle by finishing fourth at Salisbury last time out.

Blakeshall Boy is the ultimate hold-up horse so he will need luck in running. However, if the gaps come at the right time, he has the pace to take full advantage.

In the following extended one-mile EBF Maiden Stakes, Stunning Force (4.00) must not be missed.

He had the misfortune to run up against Bollin Eric at Beverley recently, the latter franking the form by landing a massive gamble in a red-hot nursery at Doncaster earlier in the week.

Over the sticks at Bangor, Haystacks (3.10) makes a rapid return to the fray, having trotted up on the level at Newcastle on Monday.

Consistency is not exactly the middle-name of Dudley Moffat's five-year-old, although if he does consent to put his best foot forward he may well complete a quick-fire Flat/jumping double.

Joe Fanning gave Darasim a superb ride to win the Tote Exacta Mallard Stakes at Doncaster yesterday and he is hoping the success is a good omen for his trip to Ireland.

Darasim made all the running, Fanning giving him a breather on the home turn before kicking for home half a mile out and the ground he stole then won him the race.

It was a desperately close call in the end, but enough was a feast as he held off Ravenswood by a short head, with Big Moment half a length away in third and Moon Emperor a short head behind in fourth.

Trainer Mark Johnston's wife Deirdre said: ''Joe gave him a great ride and he is on a roll now. I just hope he can keep it up tomorrow on Yavana's Pace in the Irish St Leger.

''Darasim will run in the Grand Prix Jockey Club over a mile and a half in Zurich on Sunday week and Joe will ride - that is why he rode the horse today - and we will also run Akbar, and Kevin Darley will ride him.''

Mrs Johnston will stay at Doncaster to saddle And Beyond in the Rothmans Royals St Leger, and she went on: ''Mark is in Keeneland and we hope he will be back on Sunday or Monday.''

Ravenswood would have won in another stride and the Tote have cut him to 14-1 from 20-1 for the Cesarewitch, while Big Moment is 16-1 from 20-1. They make Alleluia 2-1 favourite 'with a run'.

l Jardines Lookout has run his last race of the season after finishing fifth behind Alleluia in the GNER Doncaster Cup on Wednesday.

But the four-year-old gelding will remain in training for next year and connections are hopeful of landing the big prize which has so far eluded the gelding.

Trainer Alan Jarvis' wife, Ann, said yesterday: ''The race just wasn't run to suit him at Doncaster and Mick Kinane said we could just put a line through the form."