Escobar Preserves Unbeaten Record
The colt, who won impressively over the same course and distance on his debut on 15 July, sat off the early pace set by Frankuus (Frankel) in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
He cruised into contention just over a furlong and a half out and quickened impressively to beat the stakes-placed Mr Scaramanga (Sir Percy) by a length and a quarter, with Amabilis (Champs Elysees) a further five lengths adrift in third.
Escobar holds several high profile entries but he is likely to contest the Champagne Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at Doncaster on 10 September next up.
Mrs Danvers (2 f ex Rebecca De Winter by Kyllachy) ran out an impressive winner of the St Hugh’s Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Newbury on Friday, providing Hellvelyn (Ishiguru) with his second stakes winner.
She was always well positioned by jockey Richard Kingscote and, once asked to pick up the leaders, she stretched clear in fine style to beat Equimou (Equiano) by two lengths, with Stormy Clouds (Sir Prancealot) a further length and a quarter behind in third.
The filly, who was retained by her breeder at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot February Sale after failing to meet a bid of £1,000 and is leased to the Turf Club, was adding the Listed prize to the £122,000 she won in the Weatherby’s Super Sprint (5f) over the same course and distance on her previous start.
Xaarino (2 c Kendargent – Xaarienne by Xaar) won the Prix Francois Boutin (Listed, 1400m) at Deauville on Sunday.
The Andre Fabre-trained colt, a €90,000 purchase at the 2015 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, came with a strong late run to beat the British raider Medieval (Kodiac) by three quarters of a length, with Red Onion (Fast Company) a further two and a half lengths behind in third.
Sans Equivoque (2 f Stormy River – Suissesse by Malibu Moon) ran out a clearcut winner of the Prix de la Vallee d’Auge (Listed, 1000m) at Deauville on Monday.
The filly, who ran third in the Prix du Bois (Gr 3, 1000m) over the same course and distance last month, overcame Ivory Choice (Choisir) by a length and a half, with Aladdine (Naaqoos) a further length and a quarter behind in third.
Three-year-olds
Ribchester (3 c ex Mujarah by Marju) ran out a brave winner of the Prix Jacques le Marois (Gr 1, 1600m) at Deauville on Sunday, providing Haunui Farm shuttler Iffraaj (Zafonic) with his sixth Group One winner.
The Richard Fahey-trained and Godolphin-owned colt was a close third behind the The Gurkha (Galileo) and Galileo Gold (Paco Boy) in the Sussex Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) on his last start but turned the tables on Galileo Gold with a determined display.
Never far off the pace in the hands of William Buick, the colt took over at the head of affairs with just over 100 metres left to run and, as Galileo Gold faded into eighth, Ribchester battled on well to fend of Vadamos (Monsun) by half a length, with Ervedya (Siyouni) a further length and three quarters behind in third.
The three-year-old is now likely to be trained towards the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Ascot on 15 October.
Highlands Queen (3 f Mount Nelson – Queen Of Poland by Polish Precedent) won the Prix de Pomone (Gr 2, 2500m) in decisive fashion at Deauville on Saturday.
Yohann Gourrard’s filly was disqualified for causing interference in the Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m) on her last start but was clear of trouble throughout under Stephane Pasquier.
Waited with in rear, she travelled strongly into contention in the straight before stretching clear in pleasing style to beat Mango Tango (Siyouni) by two and a half lengths, with a further two lengths back to Contribution (Champs Elysees) in third.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Almanzor (3 c Wootton Bassett – Darkova by Maria’s Mon) was a ready winner of the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (Gr 2, 2000m) at Deauville on Monday.
The colt, who took out the Prix du Jockey Club (Gr 1, 2100m) at Chantilly on 5 June, came under pressure over 300 metres out but responded well to Jean-Bernard Eyquem’s urgings to draw level with Zarak (Dubawi), a son of champion mare Zarkava (Zamindar), at the 100 metres.
He quickly breezed past that rival and won going away by a length, with the front-runner Royal Artillery (War Front) sticking to his task well to finish a length and a quarter further behind in third.
Zonderland (3 c Dutch Art – Barynya by Pivotal) won the Sovereign Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) in good style at Salisbury on Thursday.
The Cheveley Park owned and bred colt, who ran sixth in the 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) in April, travelled strongly in midfield under Adam Kirby and showed a smart turn of foot to beat Master The World (Mastercraftsman) by a length and three quarters with Tupi (Tamayuz) a further length and a half behind in third.
The Jim Bolger-trained and Godolphin-owned Tribal Beat (3 c Street Cry – Tashelka by Mujahid) took out the Desmond Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) at Leopardstown on Thursday.
The colt came under pressure around two furlongs out but picked up nicely from off the pace to beat Cougar Mountain (Fasnet Rock) by a length and three quarters, with last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Gr 1, 8f) winner Hit It A Bomb (War Front) a neck further away in third on his return from over nine months off the track.
Golden Valentine (3 f Dalakhani – Gold Round by Caerleon) was a comfortable winner of the Prix Minerve (Gr 3, 2500m) at Deauville on Sunday.
Ridden patiently in rear by Aurelien Lemaitre, the filly came with a steady run from 300 metres out to win going away by a length and a half from The Juliet Rose (Monsun), with Sotteville (Le Havre) a short-neck down in third.
The Alain De Royer-Dupre-trained Trixia (3 f Siyouni – Tianshan by Lahint) came out on top in a tight finish to the Prix de Lieurey (Gr 3, 1600m) at Deauville on Monday.
The filly, who was a last-start fourth to subsequent dual Group One winner Qemah (Danehill Dancer) in the Prix de la Grotte (Gr 3, 1600m) in April, beat Chartreuse (Lawman) by a nose, with Aim To Please (Excellent Art) a length further adrift in third.
Older horses
Protectionist (6 h Monsun – Patineuse by Peintre Celebre) ran out an emphatic winner of the Grosser Preis von Berlin (Gr 1, 2400m) at Hoppegarten on Sunday.
The Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner has been in excellent form since being reunited with trainer Andreas Wohler this season, taking out the Grosser Hansa-Preis (Gr 2, 2400m) by three and a quarter lengths on his previous start.
The entire broke well and was sent straight to the lead by Eduardo Pedroza, who set steady fractions on the front end.
As he increased the tempo at the 500 metres it was quickly apparent that Protectionist had the race in safe-keeping, and he was two and a half lengths clear of Nightflower (Dylan Thomas) at the line with Guignol (Cape Cross) a further length and a quarter behind in third.
It appears unlikely that Protectionist will attempt to regain the Melbourne Cup in November, with connections favouring a tilt at the likes of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr 1, 12f) in the coming months.
Richard Pankhurst (4 c Raven’s Pass – Mainstay by Elmaamul) ran out a surprise winner of the Hungerford Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at Newbury on Saturday.
John Gosden’s colt was a well-beaten last of ten in the Sussex Stakes on his last start but he travelled powerfully in behind the leaders in the hands of Robert Havlin.
Having stalked the front-running Home Of The Brave (Starspangledbanner) throughout, he quickened up smartly at the furlong pole to beat that rival by a length, with Dark Emerald (Dark Angel) a further three quarters of a length behind in third.
Kings Fete (5 g King’s Best – Village Fete by Singspiel) made all the running to land the Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Gr 3, 1m5.5f) at Newbury on Saturday.
The gelding was a length and a quarter clear of Ormito (Mamool) at the line, with the Australia-bound Red Cardinal (Montjeu) just a head further behind in third.