Chris McGrath: Brown Panther has the finish to meet Owen's St Leger goal

Inside Track

Lyric of Light wins the May Hill Stakes from Fallen For You (PA)

Oh yes, it's grim up North – on the Turf as everywhere else. Did you ever watch a horse gallop over Middleham Moor?

If your eardrums aren't perforated by the incessant din of birdsong and sheep, you're liable to choke on the odour of dewy grass and heather. Over the border, things get worse still. At Kelso, you watch races from a wrought-iron Georgian balcony. How about health and safety? Next you'll be telling me they have an open fire in the members' bar.

The host town of the Ladbrokes St Leger, admittedly, has not always reproved the charge so successfully. But this afternoon our most ancient Classic, first staged in 1776, can show up an indefensible prejudice in the sport's big spenders.

Hitherto, Barefoot Lady, fifth in the 1,000 Guineas, has been the North's solitary runner in a British Classic this season. Brown Panther has only marginal claims to making it two today, being stabled not even as far north as the Dee. And the very fact that his Cheshire yard is so handy for Old Trafford makes Michael Owen little different from so many owners who, with the concentration of so much wealth in the South-East, have horses trained in Newmarket or Lambourn. The northern circuit, equally, is very much home to welcome new investors such as Dr Marwan Koukash and Andrew Tinkler.

These considerations, however, are immaterial to the real superpowers. The Maktoums, admittedly, heeded the emergence of Mark Johnston sufficiently to incorporate him into their operation, on a fairly industrial scale. But it is outrageous that none of the bloodstock empires otherwise seem prepared to give a chance to Richard Fahey, Kevin Ryan or any of the North's other high achievers. Whenever one of them adds a new trainer to their roster, you can bet it will instead be a well-spoken chap in Newmarket with a Hermes tie for every day of Royal Ascot. Why on earth don't they throw a bone or two – maybe from the breeze-ups, or week two at Keeneland – to someone like David O'Meara?

With all this in mind, the sport would have more to celebrate in Brown Panther than a public relations dividend through his owner. As it is, Owen has already created a colourful sub-plot by ruthlessly benching Richard Kingscote, in favour of Kieren Fallon. It must be said that young Kingscote can look better than he managed in Brown Panther's trial, when he regrouped rather frantically after giving a start to Census. Brown Panther had thrashed the winner – who, conversely, had a pretty terrible run through – at Royal Ascot and was probably still feeling the effects when fading in the German Derby. With the extra distance and galloping track in his favour, Brown Panther (3.10) looks a fair each-way price to promote his excellent trainer, Tom Dascombe.

The market is understandably dominated by Sea Moon, who produced an extraordinary performance in his rehearsal at York. Being so lightly raced, he could well be on his way to the big time. At the odds, however, you have to wonder how much the submission of his pursuers that day reflected their relative discomfort on strangely dead ground. Conditions should prove very different here.

There are no such quibbles over Blue Bunting, whose Classic calibre is already in tablets of stone. She confirmed stamina and resolution to be her forte in the Yorkshire Oaks and will be no pushover getting 3lb. Masked Marvel is also respected, having idled after readily taking charge of Census at Newmarket, but Seville is wearing patience thin.

His stable has rather more obvious prospects in the Irish version, open as it is to older horses such as Fame And Glory, 40 minutes later. Perhaps still more important to Aidan O'Brien, however, is the other Group One prize offered at the Curragh. He saddles four of the nine runners in the Goffs National Stakes, though whether any can match the acceleration of Dragon Pulse (3.50) is another matter.

There is another significant juvenile race, back at Doncaster, in the One Call Insurance Champagne Stakes. Red Duke, as a cut above the sort of youngster normally sent to his trainer, confirms John Quinn as one of the best at any point of the compass, never mind in the North. But his colt meets a top prospect in Entifaadha (2.05) – trained, as it happens, by an exiled Yorkshireman. Now it is quite obvious that William Haggas fully deserves the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan. But you do have to wonder quite how long he might have had to wait for the call, had he not left his native county for Newmarket.

Lyric shines fresh light on Godolphin's strength

In its long history, there may never been a maiden winner quite like Frankel on Town Moor for his second start. On the anniversary of a 13-length rout by the emerging champion, then, it seemed prudent yesterday to temper expectations for one or two with every right to prove Classic contenders themselves next year.

After the Barrett Steel May Hill Stakes, for instance, Lyric Of Light is down to 10-1 with Coral for the 1,000 Guineas. But it is worth remembering how another Godolphin filly, White Moonstone, was made winter favourite after winning here last year – and is yet to run this season.

Lyric Of Light betrayed her inexperience in narrowly holding Fallen For You, likewise a Newmarket maiden winner on her sole previous start. Regal Realm, a little flat in fourth, had possibly not absorbed her big effort at Goodwood. Mahmood al-Zarooni, already with Discourse and Gamilati in an exceptional team of young fillies, will train the winner for the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day.

The other Group prizes on the card extended a remarkable run for the Irish at this meeting, through Requinto and Saddler's Rock, while the conditions race won by Frankel was taken in passably flamboyant fashion by Ektihaam, now no better than 20-1 for the 2,000 Guineas.

One who may soon be following Frankel's footprints rather more literally, Excelebration, warms up for their next meeting (at Ascot next month) in the Prix du Moulin tomorrow. A remarkable card at Longchamp also includes three Arc trials, among others featuring Meandre, Sarafina, St Nicholas Abbey, Galikova and the next wave of Arc raiders from Japan.

Turf Account

Chris McGrath's Nap

Waffle (2.35 Doncaster)

Lightly raced for this stable and looks to have been primed for this, given a break after the Wokingham – beaten a neck giving weight to the classy Deacon Blues, the pair clear.

Next Best

Slumber (2.20 Goodwood)

Remains lightly raced and did not seem to get home over a long trip after travelling strongly here last time.

One To Watch

Magic City (Richard Hannon) suggested fulfilment may beckon over 7f when tried over that trip in a nursery at Doncaster on Wednesday, caught in heavy traffic before weaving into third.

Where the money's going

Ruby Walsh returns from injury at Listowel tomorrow with William Hill offering 4-1 that he beats his own record of 131 winners over the Irish campaign.