NOT only have Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin star-studded team been cleaning up in a multitude of Group races this term, they have also targeted some far less valuable middle-of-the-road handicaps with the likes of Fantastic Love (1.50).

The relatively new policy is still in its infancy, nonetheless on day three of this afternoon's Doncaster's St Leger meeting it could well reap a substantial dividend in the mile-and-six-furlong £40,000 Mallard Handicap.

Despite only finishing seventh in the Ebor at York last month, Fantastic Love actually ran a good deal better than his final placing suggests seeing as stable jockey, Frankie Dettori, was not hard on his mount once their challenge had fizzled out.

The going on the Knavesmire that day was slow and stodgy - not to the selection's liking at all, whereas it is all change now with course records falling like nine-pins on the Town Moor so far this week.

I'll wager Fantastic Love wouldn't mind running up and down the nearby A1 such is the iron-like constitution of his front legs, therefore it is not hard to envisage Saeed Bin Suroor's four-year-old finding himself back in the winners' enclosure for the first time this year.

Mark Johnston's high-class colt Elliots World (3.00) looks the one they all have to beat in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes.

Johnston took the £90,000 contest 12 months ago with Lucky Story and it seems there will more of the same from the Middleham handler, who this time brings to the table Elliots World, unbeaten in two starts to date.

Although he has an alarming habit of diving violently left-handed once push comes to shove, the smart two-year-old has brushed aside two sets of opposition at York with embarrassing ease.

Admittedly Elliots World faces his sternest task to date, including having to beat his more-than-useful stable-mate, Leo's Lucky Star. However, there is no doubt the selection has ticks in all of the right boxes for the seven-furlong contest.

John Dunlop has not had the best of seasons judged by his own high standards, but there is still time to recover some of the lost ground with Big Bad Bob (2.25) in the Gilbey Brothers Microphone Stakes.

Having reeled off a Pattern race hat-trick at Haydock, Deauville, and Baden Baden in Germany, Big Bad Bob established himself as top drawer ten-furlong performer in 2003.

Sadly this term Dunlop's colt simply has not fired, none the less he's been given a nice rest since his latest disappointment at the Curragh, and is fully capable of bouncing back to his best, particularly as the quick underfoot conditions are to suit.

Local handler John Balding, based at the village of Scrooby just a few miles from the track, will be a popular fellow if he can land the closing five-furlong Wilfreda Handicap with Matty Tun (4.45).

Although Balding's sprinter has disappointed on his last few starts, the ability is still there and if he can take maximum advantage of a recent 6lb drop in the ratings, rest assured he'll be on the premises at the business end of the race.