The unbeaten Godolphin filly and an expensive Ballydoyle purchase - what to expect as the St Leger festival kicks off

The unbeaten Godolphin filly Desert Flower is one of ten declared for the Betfred May Hill Stakes (3.00), one of two Group 2 contests on day one of the St Leger festival at Doncaster on Thursday.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, the daughter of Night Of Thunder registered two comfortable successes by just under a combined ten lengths on Newmarket's July course earlier this summer.

Desert Flower will step up to a mile for the first time in the May Hill and is 5-4 with William Hill and Betfair to continue her winning sequence.

Aidan O'Brien, winner of this race in 2018 with Fleeting, will be represented by impressive Listed winner January and Tipperary maiden winner Ecstatic.

The Ollie Sangster-trained Flight, who was a four-length winner at Sandown last time, will also take her chance and is prominent in the betting.

O'Brien relies on expensive buy Camille Pissarro

Camille Pissarro (nearside) finished second to Arizona Blaze in the Gain Marble Hill Stakes in AprilCredit: CAROLINE NORRIS

Camille Pissarro will be the sole Ballydoyle representative in the preceding Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes (2.25).

Purchased for 1,250,000gns as a yearling, the Wootton Bassett colt was last seen finishing sixth in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York last month. The O'Brien-trained juvenile has been plying his trade in Group company since a debut success at Navan in April.

Meanwhile, Weatherbys Super Sprint hero Caburn, who finished one place in front of Camille Pissarro on the Knavesmire, will take his chance for trainer Jack Jones.

Last-time-out winners Intrusively, Cairdeas, Hallasan and Miss Nightfall also feature in a strong field of 20.

Super Sam out to defend her Park Hill crown 

Super Sam will attempt to land the Group 2 Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes (3.35) for Paul and Oliver Cole, twelve months on from her success over One Evening. 

The four-year-old daughter of Nathaniel made her seasonal return at Goodwood in May but failed to beat a rival home before finishing fourth of five in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury last month.

However, connections will feel confident based on what she did last year and she will again meet nine rivals in the contest. 

Night Sparkle, Mistral Star and Scenic have all posted consistent efforts in their recent outings and have been declared, while the O'Brien-trained Grateful is the only other contender to have scored in Group company.

Read these next:

You Got To Me: profiling the £50,000 St Leger supplement and the other key contenders for Saturday's Group 1 contest 

You Got To Me added to St Leger field but leading Godolphin contender misses out at key entry stage 

'It's a massive bonus' - David Menuisier confident Christophe Soumillon can shine on big St Leger hope Sunway 

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