THERE'LL be some extremely happy campers at Doncaster this afternoon come the end of the immensely valuable St Leger Yearling Stakes.

With a bumper £300,000 in available prize-money it's almost akin to scooping Saturday's Leger itself, even though the winner will technically be a vastly inferior animal.

Given the 22-strong field any number of permutations look possible, but at least if you're backing Layazaal (1.50) then the official ratings indicate serious grounds for optimism.

Trained by the incomparable John Dunlop, a man who prior to kicking the habit puffed his way through a million cigarettes and lived to tell the tale, has clearly saved the once-raced colt specifically for a potential bonanza.

For the record the only time Layazaal stepped on to a racetrack he won with embarrassing ease at Newbury. And seeing as the form of that contest has worked out spectacularly well, it was hardly worth going for a less lucrative Group event when today's massive pot was there to be shot at.

Others to consider in the six-furlong sprint are Howard Johnson's Masta Plasta, a strong fancy despite flopping at Glorious Goodwood, plus the ultra-consistent Pickett, who couldn't run a bad race even if his legs were tied together.

Twelve months ago to the day plenty of tears were shed in the winners' enclosure after Halmahera lifted the Portland Handicap for the third year in succession.

Part-owned by Gillian Quinn, wife of former Sunderland soccer idol, Niall, Halmahera has not exactly been sparking of late. But he adopts a new lease of on the Town Moor, so it might be wise to back him each-way due to his previous outstanding feats in the race.

Punctilious (2.55), who produced a power-packed performance when poaching the mile-and-a-half Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor Meeting, almost certainly possesses the requisite class to follow up in the Park Hill Stakes.

Even though she'll be going into unknown territory over the final couple of furlongs, judged by the way the mare motored home lack of stamina will surely not be an issue.

Alan Swinbank's decision to secure the services of this year's Derby winning jockey, Johnny Murtagh, for Isidore Bonheur (4.40) could prove crucial.

Supported from 5's to 100/30, the cash was down when the selection lost out in a tight finish to the well-handicapped Kelucia at Redcar recently. There wasn't any disgrace in that defeat and Isidore Bonhuer appears ripe to plunder the £18,000 finale.

Much further south Epsom-bound Pevensey (3.50) might just have the pace to surprise likely favourite, Putra Kuantan, in the Constable Classified Stakes.

Mark Buckley's gelding is a really athletic individual, precisely the type of horse needed to handle the tricky undulations which make the south London track such a unique test of the thoroughbred.

Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.