Brian Boru is ready to take a starring role in St Leger

The horse who takes his name from a famous medieval Irish warrior king has suffered four consecutive defeats since his emphatic success in the Racing Post Trophy on this course late last October.

A tame retreat in Kris Kin's Derby marked the low point of his season, but Brian Boru looked more like his old self when staying on for fourth in the Irish Derby and ran a cracking Leger trial when coming from well off the pace to go down by a neck to Powerscourt in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

Some observers felt that Brian Boru didn't quite go through with his finishing effort after nosing ahead briefly that day, but to my eye he quickened in impressive style from the rear and ran home as straight as a gun barrel to finish clear of the illfated Hawk Flyer with High Accolade back in sixth.

Having missed the 6-1 available just over three weeks ago it's frustrating to see him at down to around 7-4 for tomorrow's Doncaster showpiece.

That said, he's a cut above this opposition on his York form, and the effects of recent rain and watering on Town Moor will play very much to his strengths

What's more, Brian Boru is bred to come into his own now that he's given the chance to race over a mile and three quarters, and everything looks in place for him to rout the English in the oldest Classic battle of them all.

Opening up the Irish Field St Leger to older horses in recent years has added a new dimension to what was once an ailing race, and tomorrow's £190,000-plus contest has all the makings of a tremendous battle between Powerscourt, Vinnie Roe, Gamut and Bollin Eric.

The rumour mill suggests that Godolphin have been waving cheques with a string of noughts attached in an attempt to prise Powerscourt away from Ballydoyle since his York success, while Vinnie Roe is a formidable stayer who bids for a hat-trick in this race on the back of a battling Leopardstown success.

Gamut is a typically progressive older horse from Sir Michael Stoute's yard and looks the sort to progress again now he steps up in trip, but Bollin Eric is the value bet to win the second Leger of his career.

Tim Easterby's powerful colt has run a string of good races in top company this year and finally gained reward for his consistency when putting up a high-class performance to give weight and a beating to some good stayers at York last month.

The Curragh looks made for his strong galloping style and he can land the stayers' Classic before an autumn campaign which could be centred around an ambitious tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Incidentally, an hour on the sofa watching BBC2's coverage of Longchamp and the Curragh on Sunday is a must for any fan of top-class racing.

The BBC hope to show the Prix Vermeille and Prix Foy live, with a recording of the Prix Niel.

The Curragh coverage will include the Group I National Stakes.

The French Derby winner Dalakhani can cement his Arc claims by getting the better of a clash with his Epsom counterpart Kris Kin in the Prix Niel, while Mark Johnston's Pearl Of Love could be the value option as he goes head to head with O'Brien's highlyregarded One Cool Cat in the National Stakes.

Graham Cunningham's St Leger verdicts - Doncaster:

3.35, 1, Brian Boru; 2, Phoenix Reach; 3 High Accolade;
The Curragh: 3.15, Bollin Eric.