The Weekend Winners team has turned its attention to Saturday's feature race at the St Leger Festival, with tipsters divided over whether the market favourite can justify its position in the Betfred St Leger Stakes.
The race takes place at 3.35pm on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Racing, as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of the St Leger. Eleven runners have been declared for the mile-and-three-quarter contest.
Enceladus holds favouritism for Joseph O'Brien's yard, with stablemates Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard also prominent in the betting. Tom Marquand partners Amelia Earhart, while Saffie Osborne takes the ride on Highwayman.
Kate Tracey's view
Tracey has turned against the market leaders and instead favours Enceladus on form grounds.
I'm against Christmas Day with Enceladus. He was my ante-post selection, mainly because we knew he was going to go to Doncaster after Goodwood. He's just got this lovely, progressive staying profile rather than having already shown his hand in Classics. He's three from three in 2026, having won his maiden at Cork and the King George VI Stakes at Royal Ascot, before stepping up into Group 3 - winning the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood over just shy of a mile and a half.
The analyst highlighted the significance of Enceladus's Royal Ascot victory, which came off a handicap mark of 89.
His Royal Ascot form has worked out really well, which is important because you could have initially dismissed him as simply being a well-handicapped horse, winning off a mark of 89. The Gordon Stakes demonstrated he belongs in pattern company, and he finished off his race really strongly.
Tracey drew parallels with a previous O'Brien success in the race.
He's by Sea The Stars and everything about his progression since being stepped up in trip suggests stamina rather than speed is increasingly becoming his strength. The step up to a mile and six and a half furlongs in the St Leger is ideal. Comparisons have been drawn between him and Galileo Chrome, who of course won this race for Joseph O'Brien in 2020.
On the Derby winner, Tracey expressed reservations about the quality of the opposition.
Christmas Day - I just think with that Derby form it was a win because of the frailties of his opposition that day and the conditions.
Sam Boswell backs Christmas Day
Boswell took a contrarian view, questioning whether Enceladus deserves to be shorter in the betting than Christmas Day.
I'm a Christmas Day backer. Has the favourite really got form to warrant being shorter than Christmas Day? In my book, I'm not so sure. I can see the angle for Enceladus - the progressive nature - and you do get horses who can do that in this race but I wouldn't be shocked if they flip-flop in the betting come the day and I think there will be some support for Christmas Day.
Boswell viewed Christmas Day's York run as preparation for Doncaster rather than a definitive test.
I'm viewing the York run as that was a stepping stone towards this - we've seen that done in the past. If it rains like it did at Epsom, I have no concerns. He handled the ground that day.
The tipster acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the Derby but remained convinced of Christmas Day's credentials.
I do take the point that you don't know what to make of that Derby still. The Irish Derby second behind Benvenuto Cellini was a fair enough effort and I think this is a two-horse race, given I've lost the faith with Pierre Bonnard throughout the season. I like the horse that has [already] ticked the box on the big day.
Declan Rix's case for Amelia Earhart
Rix offered a strikingly different assessment, suggesting the renewal lacked depth and identifying an outsider with genuine potential.
My head is saying this is a pretty average renewal of the Leger and I'm not sure the two Ballydoyle horses are going to take massive steps forward for the trip. Enceladus I really like but I do wonder: why have they put the cheekpieces on? He's a horse who has looked raw and behind the bridle, so maybe that's it but going up in trip, surely you don't want to light him up? Although, he does look the strongest stayer of the market leaders.
Rix's focus shifted to Amelia Earhart, who had been sent off favourite for the Oaks before connections pointed her toward Doncaster.
I can't believe I've come around to Amelia Earhart. With her sex allowance factored in, I just think she's interesting. I'm not sure she's going to be in love with winning but on my own figures she's steadily been getting better. She went off favourite for an Oaks having looked very good in the Cheshire Oaks and she's just disappointed.
The analyst suggested that ground conditions and time of year might suit the filly better than her summer performances indicated.
Maybe she thrives at this time of year and not on rattling summer ground, she may get back to her best?
Rix noted that O'Brien's team had made multiple changes to Amelia Earhart's equipment, which he interpreted as a sign of confidence.
They've been messing around with headgear. The blinkers have been on, the hood has been on - everything's off now. So they've clearly seen something [and feel] they can eke out improvement.
The tipster highlighted the filly's pedigree as a further positive.
She's a full sister to Cleveland, who won a Chester Cup. Surely going up in trip, of all the Ballydoyle horses she will thrive most - and if she does, she doesn't have loads to find.
Rix concluded with a specific betting recommendation.
I'm going to back her in a top three finish at 11/2.
What happens next
The Betfred St Leger will be run on Saturday 12 September 2026 at 15:40 as part of a seven-race card at Doncaster, with the first race at 13:10 and the final race at 16:48. According to At The Races reporting from late August, bet365 had Christmas Day at 7-4 favourite with Pierre Bonnard at 5-2 and Amelia Earhart at 66-1, though Rix's analysis suggests the odds on the filly may have shifted since those early assessments.
