O'Brien aims five at St Leger

Having taken the spoils three times in the past eight years, Aidan O'Brien looks set to have another strong hand in this year…

Having taken the spoils three times in the past eight years, Aidan O'Brien looks set to have another strong hand in this year's Ladbrokes St Leger with the Ballydoyle handler being responsible for five of the 11 horses remaining for the world's oldest Classic.

The champion trainer has already taken the extended mile and three-quarter Doncaster show-piece with Milan (2001), Brian Boru (2003) and Scorpion (2005).

His quintet for this year's Classic on Saturday, September 12th, is headed by Age Of Aquarius, who was runner-up in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in mid-July.

O'Brien may also be represented by the progressive Changingoftheguard, who was a comfortable winner of the Ulster Derby before going down by a head in the fiercely competitive Ebor Handicap at York on August 19th.

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The potential Coolmore challenge is completed by Curragh handicap winner Johann Zoffany, Von Jawlensky, who was runner-up in a Roscommon Listed race in June and Newmarket 3-Y-O Trophy third Rockhampton.

Fellow Irish trainer John Oxx has already plundered the 2000 Guineas and Derby with Sea The Stars and the Co Kildare handler may bid for a third Classic this season with Mourayan.

The Alhaarth colt, home-bred by the Aga Khan, was third to Fame And Glory in the Group One Irish Derby and chased home Profound Beauty in the Group Three Ballyroan Stakes on his latest appearance at Leopardstown on August 13.

The sponsors make Kite Wood their 5-2 market leader after he powered to Group Three victories in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket in July and the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on August 15.

The Godolphin colt is set to make a second appearance at the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival, having taken a mile maiden at the meeting last year for former trainer Michael Jarvis.

The John Dunlop-trained Tactic was runner-up to Kite Wood in the Bahrain Trophy and went on to be fourth in the Group Three Betfair Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on July 28th.

The son of Sadler's Wells may bid to give his trainer a fourth success in the Ladbrokes St Leger following on from Moon Madness (1986), Silver Patriarch (1997) and Millenary (2000).

Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, revealed: "Mr Dunlop wanted to leave the horse in the Ladbrokes St Leger and I will have to discuss whether he takes his chance with the trainer and Sheikh Hamdan.

"I think that his run in the Gordon Stakes was fair but it was a better effort when he was second to Kite Wood at Newmarket. He's a nice horse but he has a bit to find on the form book as things stand.

"It remains to be seen whether an extra two furlongs can turn him into a St Leger winner, but we will decide if we go to Doncaster with him in due course."

Apart from Kite Wood, Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor has also left in Mastery, who took the Group Two Italian Derby in May and has run with great credit on his three subsequent starts, including when third in the Group Three Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot.

After coming third behind Age Of Aquarius in the Grand Prix de Paris, the son of Sulamani took second in one of the leading trials for the race, the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on August 18th.

Both he and Kite Wood are set to bid to give Godolphin a fifth victory in the Doncaster Classic after Classic Cliche (1995), Nedawi (1998), Mutafaweq (1999) and Rule Of Law (2004).

Henry Cecil could also go for a fifth Ladbrokes St Leger success with Father Time, who routed the opposition in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot prior to coming third in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

Khalid Abdulla's home-bred Dansili colt will attempt to emulate the Warren Place trainer's previous Doncaster winners - Light Cavalry (1980), Oh So Sharp (1985), Reference Point (1987) and Michelozzo (1989).

Barry Hills has tasted Ladbrokes St Leger success with Moonax in 1994 and the veteran Lambourn handler would cap a fantastic campaign if victorious on Town Moor courtesy of the Jack Hanson-owned Above Average, who took a Group Three at Sandown in April and was third behind Kite Wood and Tactic in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

The same owner/trainer combination teamed up with The Last Drop, who was second at 50-1 in the 2006 St Leger

The five-day confirmation stage on Monday, September 7th, is also the final chance for any horse to be supplemented for the Ladbrokes St Leger at a cost of €51,000.

Those under consideration for the Classic include the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Monitor Closely, who had Mastery and Father Time behind him when storming to an all-the-way victory in the Great Voltigeur Stakes.

Godolphin's Urban Poet (10/1) may also be added to St Leger field if he runs well in the Listed March Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday, while connections of Father Time are also considering letting the unexposed Manifest take his chance following an impressive maiden victory at Newmarket on August 8th.