DROOPYS LIVE, trained by Newcastle’s Angela Harrison, was fastest in the heats of the SIS Yorkshire St Leger – on a night of high-quality fare at Doncaster on Monday.

Stepping back up in distance having been knocked out in the four-bend semi-finals of the 3 Steps To Victory at Sheffield, the talented May 2015 daughter of Tullymurry Act and Live Queen was always in front in heat six after a slick exit and made all from Affleck Bolt (Patrick Janssens) in 41.70sec.

Next quickest was Carol Weatherall’s Calico Ranger who led at the fifth bend in heat two and held recent Sheffield 3 Steps winner Swift Hansel (Anneliese Thompson), a Yorkshire St Leger finalist last year, by three-quarters of a length in 41.74sec. The winner was having just his third start over six bends.

Last year’s Yorkshire St Leger champion Keplar Nine was one of Charlie Lister’s final runners as a licensed trainer – he had runners at Nottingham also the same night – and connections will have been happy with his second place in heat three, pacing up to lead, only for Baroness Bullet to finish stronger to win in 41.77sec.

The winner’s trainer Mark Wallis said after the two-year-old’s third straight win: “She’s absolutely on fire at present and won really well I thought. Hers was one of six cracking heats of what is shaping up a fantastic competition and we’re certainly looking forward to the semi-finals.”

Wallis, who later saw his Bombers Bullet caught by Hazel Kemp’s Kent St Leger winner Slippy Maggie (42.15sec) in heat five, said the runner-up would improve for the run – his first after winning the Champion Stakes at Romford. “He looked short of a run, but qualifying is the main thing and he’ll improve.”

He added: “September always seems a great month for racing, but I was gutted to have missed the Irish Derby weekend this year. It looked a fantastic occasion and well done to connections of Ballyanne Sim – in fact, it was a great sporting weekend. I’m a big golf fan and Tiger Woods topped it off! It was something I never thought I’d see again.”

Ridgedale Max was a popular winner for the Philip Simmonds camp as the Romford raider returned to the track in the best possible style in heat four. His previous race had been in the heats of the Summer Stayers Classic at Monmore in July, an event ultimately won by Matt Dartnall’s heat one winner on Monday, the prolific-scoring Ela Juliet (41.96sec).

After winning heat four from the staying-on Swift Tarquin (John Mullins), Nathan Hunt, assistant to Simmonds, said: “It’s great to see Max back. He wasn’t quite right at Sunderland, then had a tough race at Monmore prior to the Summer Classic, even though he came through to win.

“But he was below-par in the Monmore event itself, and Ron Mills did well to find a small muscle tear in his chest. Monday was his first race in eight weeks with only a two-bend trial, then one over four bends. We’re so pleased to see him back to his old self and I’d fancy him to come on for the run next week.”

Three heats of the BGBF British Bred Oaks supported the Yorkshire St Leger heats, with last year’s third Tea For Tess posting the best time of the two of eliminators, as Richard Devenish’s runner made all after a fast start to score in 29.55sec.

The other heats were won by the Patrick Janssens-trained Affleck Dino, who also made all the running over the 483m trip when clocking 29.97sec, while recent Lowther Stakes third Queen Adele (John Lambe) impressed when leading early when winning in 29.66sec.

Trap draw for Monday’s semi-finals:-

BGBF British Bred Oaks:

First semi: 1 Tea For Tess, 2 Witton Whirlwind, 3 Afflect Dino, 4 Queen Adele, 5 Prime Time, 6 Witton Thunder (w).

Second semi: 1 Witton Derecho, 2 Roxhill Mystique, 3 Cu Sith Alsh, 4 Witton Hurricane, 5 Watchall Winnie (m), 6 Queen Beyonce (m).

SIS Yorkshire St Leger:

First semi: 1 Baroness Bullet, 2 Swift Tarquin, 3 Bombers Bullet, 4 Raceaway Fly, 5 Roxholme Poppy (w), 6 Calico Ranger (w).

Second semi: 1 Ridgedale Max, 2 Swift Hansel, 3 Looking Sharp, 4 Goldies Hotspur (m), 5 Tellhersomething (w), 6 Keplar Nine (w).

Third semi: 1 Droopys Live, 2 Ela Juliet, 3 Slippy Maggie, 4 Affleck Bolt (m), 5 Headford Maurice (m), Master Kelly (w).