Ante-post favourite St Michel not certain to make cut

All the talk about Saturday's Betfred Cesarewitch has centred on the handicap snip and 6-1 ante-post favourite St Michel, but Sir Mark Prescott's three-year-old is still not certain of getting a run in the 34-strong field.

Connections of St Michel, officially 15lb well-in after being raised to a rating of 112 following his third in the Group 2 Doncaster Cup last month, are sweating along with backers of last year's winner Grumeti over making the race, with a couple more defectors needed for both to get in.

Tony Martin looks set to come to their aid with two of his four remaining possibles, both above Grumeti and St Michel in the weights, more likely to run in the Irish Cesarewitch on Sunday.