All eyes will be on Halmahera at Doncaster tomorrow as the North Yorkshire sprinter aims to put what is now a traditional stamp on the opening day of the St Leger Festival.

Trained at Hambleton by Kevin Ryan, Halmahera has won the Portland Handicap for the last two years and tomorrow bids for an outstanding hat-trick in this £50,000 event, sponsored by totesport.

Although he plainly loves Doncaster and particularly this unusual distance of five-and-a-half furlongs, Halmahera has to concede weight to all but one of his 21 rivals and this looks a tough task.

Much as I would love to see this hardy nine-year-old win again, I am looking elsewhere for the winner and expect to see Whistler give his backers a good run for their money.

One of three runners from Milton Bradley's sprint academy, Whistler, the mount of Richard Hills, has run cracking races in defeat lately at Haydock and Newbury, each time staying on well over five furlongs after meeting trouble in running.

Overdue a winning turn, he should be well suited by this slightly longer distance and he looks well drawn in stall 12.

His stablemates Whitbarrow and particularly Corridor Creeper are also fancied to run well, but Whistler gets the Nap vote.

The interesting runner in the £100,000 National Stud Never Say Die Club Park Hill Stakes, a Group 2 race for fillies and mares, is Tarakala, four lengths winner of the Galtress Stakes at York's Ebor Festival last month.

Ground conditions were testing that day and Tarakala will be racing on a much sounder surface tomorrow, but she is on the upgrade and this step up to the Leger distance of one and threequarter miles should be right up her street.

The biggest prize on offer on Town Moor tomorrow is the £200,000 St Leger Yearling Stakes, a race restricted to two-year-olds bought as yearlings at last year's sales across the road.

Ceasar Beware, winner of both his races for Henry Candy, looks looks a useful sprinter in the making and, in a wide-open race, he can complete a hat-trick and land this jackpot prize under Dane O'Neill.

The booking of Mick Kinane for Miss Meggy, trained by Tim Easterby, in the opening race, the EBF Carrie Red Fillies' Nursery Handicap, looks a hint worth taking.

Wednesday's tips:

Doncaster

1.15 Miss Meggy, 1.50 Ceasar Beware, 2.25 Whistler (Nap), 3.00 Tarakala, 3.35 Camacho, 4.10 Monsoon Rain, 4.45 Posteritas.

Epsom

2.15 Intrigued, 2.50 Little Jimbob, 3.25 Amica, 4.00 Mango Mischief, 4.35 Nordwind, 5.10 Flint River.

Tomorrow's other meeting is at Hereford.

Updated: 12:08 Tuesday, September 07, 2004