Hannon believes rain could put Alderman right in the Leger picture

Richard Hannon believes Alderman can prove his Derby run was no fluke in the Betfred St Leger on Saturday, if the heavens open on Town Moor between now and the big race.

The Study Of Man colt produced a huge effort at Epsom behind Christmas Day on rain-softened ground, storming home in fifth at 100-1 under Pat Dobbs and beaten just over seven lengths.

After being given time to recover from getting jarred up at Newmarket in the Bahrain Trophy on his only subsequent start, Hannon feels rain, and plenty of it, could see him again outrun big odds.

“The ground was simply too quick in the Bahrain Trophy. He is a big, strong, heavy mature horse and he just found the ground a little too quick and came back a little bit jarred up afterwards,” said Hannon, whose Epsom runner-up Mojo Star was second to Hurricane Lane in the 2021 Leger.

“So we have given him a nice break and got him back in good form at home and, if it is a washout, anything could happen. It looked like it might have happened in the Derby. He really could not have run any better.”

The ground at Doncaster was good to soft, good in places on Wednesday, but there does look to be rain in the forecast on Thursday and Saturday.

While Alderman has ground to make up on Aidan O’Brien’s Christmas Day, he has Rebel Rocker, two and a half lengths behind in sixth, and Pierre Bonnard a further neck away in seventh, seemingly covered.

And having banked £80,000 for owner Julie Wood for his Epsom run, he owes connections nothing so far this season.

“That run at Epsom came on Julie Wood’s birthday (June 6) so hopefully, fingers crossed about the weather, the horse can give her a bit of excitement and a belated birthday present again on Saturday,” added Hannon.