The South Yorkshire venue has soaked up 23cm of moisture in the last two months and more than 4cm in the last week alone.

However the track is described as being in "good fettle" while the going is good to soft, soft in places on the straight course and soft, good to soft on the round course.

The encouraging outlook is a major boost for Yorkshire racing which is still counting the cost of York's Ebor Festival being abandoned in its entirety last month because of waterlogged ground.

"I'm quite pleased because the sun's come out. I don't think we've seen the sun for more than an hour over the last three weeks," said Doncaster clerk of the course David Williams yesterday,

"Today is set to be quite a reasonable day, though we might get the odd rogue shower. Tuesday is looking like getting more rain, but the forecast changes all the time and I'm hopeful the rain might miss us.

"It's a mixed bag, but at least the forecast is more showery than persistent rain."

The meeting – which starts on Wednesday – culminates on Saturday with the Ladbrokes St Leger, the final Classic of the season.

It will the centrepiece of an eight-race card, thanks to Haydock's Sprint Cup being transferred from Saturday's abandoned meeting at the Merseyside track.

Record-breaking trainer Sir Michael Stoute appears to be putting his faith in Conduit to end his St Leger jinx.

This is the only major race to have eluded the former champion trainer over the past 36 years. Even the legendary Shergar could not defy the rain-softened ground in 1981, despite being an overwhelming odds-on favourite.

However, it is increasingly likely that Stoute's stable jockey Ryan Moore – this season's leading rider – will today opt to ride Conduit after being sufficiently impressed by a weekend workout on the Newmarket gallops.

Moore, who is still seeking his first English Classic, also rode Conduit to victory in last month's Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, a key St Leger trial. He has every confidence the horse will stay the gruelling one mile, six furlong trip.

The combination's supporters , however, include Walter Swinburn – rider of the ill-fated Shergar – who believes Doncaster's galloping track will better suit Conduit than Goodwood's undulations, and that the horse will have the stamina to defy Irish Derby victor Frozen Fire, the leading entry of the all-conquering Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien and ante-post favourite.

Eddie Ahern will replace broken leg victim Seb Sanders aboard Oaks heroine Look Here in the St Leger.

Ralph Beckett's filly has been out of action since securing Classic honours at Epsom in June, having suffered a setback on the gallops.

Look Here has returned to full fitness and – just like the aforementioned Conduit – impressed connections with a crucial work-out on Saturday. "She is fit and we're ready to race," said Beckett.

Aidan O'Brien's stable star Yeats, arguably the most popular horse in flat racing, heads the 15 possible runners for Friday's GNER Doncaster Cup.

Age appears to be no barrier to the enduring seven-year-old who won a third successive Gold Cup at Royal Ascot before claiming a bloodless victory in the Goodwood Cup.

Yeats has not run in Doncaster's two mile, two furlong feature before.

The rearranged Sprint Cup on Saturday is emerging as a likely target for James Fanshawe's Sir Gerry.

After finishing third in the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot, the three-year-old disappointed in Newmarket's July Cup.

But a short break appears to have done the trick and the rescheduled Group One, saved from Haydock, is now on the agenda.

A leading rival will be Michael Jarvis's improving colt Ancien Regime provided that the ground dries out sufficiently. ac