“He’s coming on all right and we are hopeful of getting him there. Obviously he won’t get a run before the Leger,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah.

“It is a very delicate balance in that I don’t want to say don’t worry he’ll make it, easy peasy, but equally I don’t want to put everyone completely away. At the moment we are hopeful of getting him there.”

The son of Sadler’s Wells has proved himself to be a very smart colt, winning the Chester Vase and finishing fourth to New Approach in the Vodafone Derby before occupying the same position behind Montmartre in the Juddmonte Grand de Paris at Longchamp on his latest start.

Doctor Fremantle, 14-1 with the sponsors, is one of four horses from Michael Stoute’s stable among 24 possibles for the St Leger at the latest acceptance stage.

The others are leading ante-post fancy Conduit, Great Voltigeur failure Patkai and Warringah, but Stoute has taken Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer out of the race.

Irish Derby winner Frozen Fire has been left in by Aidan O’Brien, who still has nine entries.

Juddmonte Oaks heroine Look Here stands her ground for trainer Ralph Beckett, while the only other filly left in is Tommy Stack’s Unsung Heroine, the subject of plenty of ante-post activity recently.

Luca Cumani, who sent out Commanche Run to strike in 1984, is considering Savarain for the race.

Cumani said: “The St Leger is definitely an option for Savarain and we will decide nearer the time whether we let him take his chance or not.

“He was entered to run over a mile and three-quarters in the Melrose Stakes but unfortunately the ground and the meeting went against him. He needs good going to be at his best.

“He will have no problem in stepping up in distance, but the step up in class could be a problem for him.

“There’s no time to get a run into him before the St Leger and there are no races for him either. We will decide nearer the time if he is ready to take his place in a Group One race.”

The Barry Hills-trained Daraahem was another who should have run in the Melrose at York and has been re-routed to the Listed corbettsports.com Chester Handicap on Saturday.

Hills’ son and assistant, Charlie, believes a good display will see the colt book his Classic place.

“He would have to run well there, but if he goes and wins then we would obviously have to consider running him at Doncaster,” he said.

“He took the step up to a mile and three quarters really well on his last start at Haydock and he obviously stays the trip.

“He won in heavy ground there and we would prefer cut in the ground for him if he were to take his chance. If he comes out of Chester in good form, then we will seriously look at the race for him.”

Ladbrokes have Centennial as their 4-1 favourite, but the Great Voltigeur winner would have to be supplemented by trainer John Gosden, who was successful 12 months ago with Lucarno.

Totesport have three co-favourites at 5-1 with their spokesman Damian Walker saying: “Rarely can the St Leger have had such an open look to it with the race just over two weeks away.

“The front six horses in our betting are separated by just a single point and no horse has really captured the imagination of ante-post punters.

“Probably the best-backed horse in the past couple of weeks has been Unsung Heroine. She has been supported since her win in a Group Three at Cork earlier this month and is now 8-1 from 10-1.”

Ladbrokes St Leger

Sponsors bet: 4-1 Centennial (needs to be supplemented), 5-1 Conduit, Look Here, 6-1 Alessandro Volta, 12-1 Unsung Heroine, Top Lock, 14-1 Doctor Fremantle, 20-1 Campanologist, Washington Irving, 33-1 bar.

Totesport bet: 5-1 Conduit, Look Here, Patkai, 11-2 Frozen Fire, 6-1 Alessandro Volta, Centennial, 8-1 Unsung Heroine, 10-1 Doctor Fremantle, 16-1 Campanologist, Top Lock, Washington Irving, 33-1 bar.